Real-World
Ment o Rs Making all the difference in the job hunt PAGE 14
Inside:
> ’The World Needs More PLU,’ 10 > Homecoming Photos, 28 > Honor Roll of Donors, 40
calendar November 12, 8 – 9:30 p.m. University Jazz Ensemble Anderson University Center November 13, 6 – 7:30 p.m. MBA Information Session Morken Center 103: Public Events Room November 13, 7 – 8:30 p.m. Got Privilege? Regency Room, Anderson University Center November 13, 8 – 9:30 p.m. University Symphony Orchestra Lagerquist Concert Hall November 14 – December 12 Juried Student Exhibition University Gallery November 14, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. John McEvoy: Flight Testing the Boeing 707 Garfield Book Company Community Room November 14, 3 – 5 p.m. Sustainability Tracking & Rating System Anderson University Center, Room 201 Busy student volunteers on move-in day take a moment’s pause to pose for a picture. More than 600 first-year students took part in orientation festivities this September.
NOVEMBER October 10 – November 7 The Physicality of the Present: Ann Johnston Schuster, John McCuiston University Gallery November 1, 12 p.m. – 2 p.m. Bachelor of Science in Nursing Information Sessions Ramstad 202: Nursing Continuing Education Classroom November 3, 3 – 4:30 p.m. Artist Series: Vanessa Sielert, Guest Saxophonist Lagerquist Concert Hall November 3, 7 – 7:30 p.m. Oksana Ezhokina Piano Recital Lagerquist Concert Hall November 4, 1 – 4 p.m. Habitat Restoration Work Party Fred L. Tobiason Outdoor Learning Center November 4, 3 – 4:30 p.m. Mary Baker Russell Music Scholars Lagerquist Concert Hall
November 8, 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. Social Media for Your Nursing Tool Box Ramstad 202: Nursing Continuing Education Classroom November 8, 12 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. The Northern Lights and the Sun Scandinavian Cultural Center November 8, 6 – 7:30 p.m. Master of Science in Finance Information Session Morken Center 103: Public Events Room November 9, 2 – 3 p.m. Psychology Colloquium: Dr. Werner Schaie Xavier 201: Philip A. Nordquist Lecture Hall November 10, 12 – 2 p.m. Author Event: Megan Bostic Garfield Book Company Community Room November 12, 6 – 7:30 p.m. Law School Application Process: Brian Miller from Willamette Xavier 250
November 15, 7 – 10 p.m. Holocaust Program Lecture and Film Guest speaker: Peter Altmann Scandinavian Cultural Center November 15, 8 – 9:30 p.m. Piano Ensemble Lagerquist Concert Hall November 16, 12 – 5 p.m. Student Philanthropy Committee: Professional Development Conference Anderson University Center, Room 133 November 16, 7 – 8 p.m. PLUtonic/HERmonic Fall Show #1 Lagerquist Concert Hall November 16, 9 – 10 p.m. PLUtonic/HERmonic Fall Show #2 Lagerquist Concert Hall November 17, 3 – 4:30 p.m. Solvvinden Flute Ensemble Lagerquist Concert Hall November 18, 3 – 5:30 p.m. University Wind Ensemble Lagerquist Concert Hall continued on inside back cover
inside
4
Here & Now
8
Life of the Mind
10
‘The World Needs More PLU’
Photo by John Struzenberg ’14
Pacific Lutheran University Scene Winter 2012 Volume 43 Issue 2
The text of PLU President Thomas W. Krise’s inaugural address
14
COVER STORY:
Real-World Mentors
22
Fields of Dreams
26
Alumni News & Events
Changes to the athletic facilities mean big things for all PLU students
Alumni Board and Parents Council
Tyson Bendzak ’10 was asked to take his unicycle with him when Nike sent him to London to blog about the Summer Olympics.
The PLU men’s soccer team takes its first practice on the new synthetic-turf sports field. See page 22
28
Homecoming Photos
40
Honor Roll of Donors
32
Alumni Profiles
61
University Gallery
34
Alumni Class Notes
64
One-on-One
Scene EXECUTIVE EDITOR
CLASS NOTES
PLU OFFICERS
Greg Brewis
Adrianne Jamieson ‘09
Thomas W. Krise President
EDITOR
EDITORIAL OFFICES
Steve Hansen
Neeb Center Building #207 253-535-8410 scene@plu.edu www.plu.edu/scene
MANAGING EDITOR
Barbara Clements WRITERS
Chris Albert Katie Scaff ’13 PHOTOGRAPHER
John Froschauer ART DIRECTOR
Simon Sung ONLINE MANAGER
Toby Beal
Scene is printed on 10 percent post-consumer recycled paper using soy-based sustainable inks. The paper was manufactured at a Forest Stewardship Council-certified plant.
Steven P. Starkovich Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies Laura F. Majovski Vice President, Student Life and Dean of Students Karl Stumo Vice President, Admission and Enrollment Services Steve Olson Vice President, Development and University Relations Sheri J. Tonn Vice President, Finance and Operations
OFFICE OF ALUMNI AND CONSTITUENT RELATIONS Lauralee Hagen ‘75, ‘78 Executive Director
ADDRESS CHANGES Please direct any address changes to alumni@plu.edu or 800-ALUM-PLU
Jessica Pagel ‘08 Assistant Director
ON THE COVER Bryce Manso ’10 with colleagues Tisha Graham ’09 and Julie Williams ’09 at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Wash. Manso and Williams run efficacy studies on HIV vaccine trials, while Graham works in a nearby lab and focuses on Herpes Simplex virus, West Nile virus, HIV and Flu.
Michelle Story ‘09 Outreach Events and Volunteer Manager Kim Kennedy Tucker Assistant to the Director G. Lee Kluth ‘69 Director, Congregation Relations Nesvig Alumni Center Tacoma, WA 98447-0003 253-535-7415 800-ALUM-PLU www.plualumni.org
Volume 42, Issue 2 Scene (SSN 0886-3369) is published three times a year by Pacific Lutheran University, S. 121st and Park Ave., Tacoma, WA., 98447-0003. Postage paid at Tacoma, WA, and additional mailing offices. Address service requested. Postmaster: Send changes to Development Operations, Office of Development, PLU, Tacoma, WA, 98447-0003, deveops@plu.edu. © 2012 by Pacific Lutheran University
Photo by John Froschauer
PLU SCENE WINTER 2012 3
here & now
Inauguration and Convocation welcome new students, and new president
T
he beginning of PLU’s 123rd year marked a time of change and a celebration of a rich history of pursuing lives of service and thoughtful inquiry. The Presidential Inauguration and Convocation on Sept. 4 included a welcome for the class of 2016 and the induction of PLU’s 13th president, Thomas W. Krise. “We become Lutes together today,” Krise told the students at Olson Auditorium. To celebrate the occasion, 640 first-
4 PLU SCENE WINTER 2012 > HERE & NOW
year students, 50 clergy, 200 faculty and 40 delegates from other higher education institutions gathered with staff, administrators, regents and guests. Presiding Bishop of the ELCA, Rev. Mark S. Hanson, gave Krise the charge of affirming his commitment to the pursuit of academic excellence and the shepherding of higher education in the Lutheran tradition. “Ceremonies like today are how we act out what we cannot say,” Krise said. It is the tradition of a Lutheran edu-
cation and a history of three millennia of liberal arts education that bring faculty and students to PLU – where academic freedom, rigor and reason are the pursuit and standard, he said. “Colleges need to remain places where you can ask troubling questions, push the boundaries and seek knowledge wherever that might be,” Krise said. —Chris Albert
To read the full text of President Thomas W. Krise’s inaugural address, “The world needs more PLU,” see page 10.
PLU President Thomas W. Krise
A
fter reading the novel “Into the Beautiful North” as part of the Common Reading Program this summer, students, staff, and faculty had the opportunity to meet the book’s author, Luis Alberto Urrea, who visited campus Thursday, Sept. 13. Urrea visited professor Jason Skipper’s class in the afternoon before taking the stage at a presidential inauguration event in Lagerquist Concert “I sat down to write a Hall to talk about the unusual upbringing that helped inspire book that would his novel. make me laugh.” Urrea was born to an American mother and Mexican —Luis Alberto Urrea father in Tijuana, but moved to the U.S. after contracting tuberculosis, which ended up decimating his hometown. It wasn’t until years later Author Luis Alberto Urrea speaks to the campus community in Lagerquist Concert Hall. – after becoming the first in his family to go to college and losing his father – that something in common with the incomUrrea was inspired to return to his old “Opportunity” is the operative word, ing class of 2016. neighborhood to do mission work. because Hughes says the site will eventuZink said the program helped ease Working with a man by the name of ally include volunteer opportunities as some of the awkwardness of meeting Pastor Von and connecting with people well. “We really see it as a centralized new people. from his old neighborhood gave him a resource to develop professional skills “I liked reading a book with everyone new perspective on humanity, which is a and experience,” she said. because it gave us something to talk common theme in many of his books. The online resource will be the main about.” “Into the Beautiful North” tackles some location for all on-campus jobs, state —Katie Scaff ’13 of the issues plaguing Mexico, but it’s work-study jobs, internships and, of also very lighthearted – which was course, full-time career placement. Urrea’s intent. And it won’t be just for students. Opportunity Board “I sat down to write a book that would Alumni are encouraged to use these make me laugh,” Urrea said. “Humor is a brings job-seekers and resources, especially those who have virus that affects everyone in humanity. graduated in the past few years. employers together It’s hard to not like someone and not The site is also great for employers. welcome someone if you’ve shared a Hughes said that, in the past, if corpoareer Connections – the key laugh with them.” rate recruiters had multiple offerings to facilitator among essential Education major Megan Zink ’15 cerpost – say, an internship and a full-time career planning services availtainly shared a few laughs. “He’s really position – they would often have to go able to PLU students and alumni – celfunny,” she said after the lecture. “It was ebrated its first anniversary this past to separate locations to post the interesting to see the history behind the summer by launching an essential announcement. Now, both students and book.” online tool – the Career Connections employers can all go to the same place. Like other incoming students, Zink Opportunity Board. “I think students will find the Career was asked to read the book as part of the Executive Director Bobbi Hughes ’00 Connections Opportunities Board an Common Reading Program. This year, said the new Career Connections invaluable resource in their job search the program tried something new – askOpportunity Board will be the central and overall professional development,” ing all members of the PLU community location for all job search and internto read the book so everyone could have ship opportunities across campus. continued on next page
C
HERE & NOW > PLU SCENE WINTER 2012
5
Photo by John Struzenberg ’14
Common Reading Program comes full circle with author visit
here & now continued
said Hughes. “It will enhance their connections with employers, and in this job market your connections are your most important asset.” —Steve Hansen
To find the Career Connections Opportunity Board, as well as other opportunities available from Career Connections, visit www.plu.edu/career-connections.
PLU’s joyous Christmas concerts celebrate ‘A Child is Born’
W
hat has become a magnificent holiday tradition will take on added significance this December when the Choir of the West, University Chorale and members of the University Symphony Orchestra perform the world premiere of “Unto Us,” composed by PLU Professor of Music David Deacon-Joyner.
There will be three performances in PLU’s Lagerquist Concert Hall in the Mary Baker Russell Music Center: Dec. 1 and 7 at 8 p.m., and Dec. 2 at 3 p.m.
PLU’s student-musicians perform at last year’s Christmas concert in Benaroya Hall, Seattle.
ty, reflection, and pageantry, sure to bring a joyous beginning to the Christmas season. Tickets for the Seattle, Portland and Tacoma concerts are all on sale now. To find out how to purchase tickets, and for more information, visit www.plu.edu/christmas.
As of November, much of the work under way has been structural. The pouring of footings and walls in the basement area has taken place, as well as framing, underground plumbing and structural steel in the attic and first floor.
—Steve Hansen
As in recent years, PLU’s most gifted student musicians will perform at Seattle’s Benaroya Concert Hall, home to the Seattle Symphony, on Monday, Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m., and at Portland’s Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, home of the Oregon Symphony, on Tuesday, Dec. 4, at 7:30 p.m. There will also be three performances in PLU’s Lagerquist Concert Hall in the Mary Baker Russell Music Center: Dec. 1 and 7 at 8 p.m., and Dec. 2 at 3 p.m. As is tradition with PLU Christmas concerts, University Pastor Nancy Connor will provide readings to illuminate the musical offerings, and the audience will participate with the choirs during familiar Christmas carols. This concert will provide an evening of beau6 PLU SCENE WINTER 2012 > HERE & NOW
Phase II of Karen Hille Phillips Center for the Performing Arts continues
T
his fall, students returned to campus to see construction crews hard at work on the second phase of the Karen Hille Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. The center renovation includes a 630-seat performance space, to be known as Eastvold Auditorium. It also features an art gallery in the main lobby, a secondfloor lobby, an elevator, and the restoration of Ness Family chapel, formerly Tower Chapel.
Artist rendering of the remodeled Eastvold Auditorium
The first phase of the project has been complete for a year – with a full slate of productions taking place in its new studio theater space. The Karen Hille Phillips Center for the Performing Arts renovations are on track to be completed by the beginning of the 2013-14 academic year.
the forum is emphasized through designating specific days to address peacemaking in relation to science and health, business and global studies. In
addition, two students from each of the six consortium schools are awarded a seven-week academic experience in Norway. —Chris Albert S
ACCOLADES
PLU joins Nobel Peace Prize Forum as a full sponsor
P
acific Lutheran University is joining the Nobel Peace Prize Forum as a full sponsor – the Norwegian Nobel Institute’s only such program or academic affiliation outside of Norway. Begun in 1988 by a consortium of private Lutheran colleges founded by NorwegianAmericans, PLU joins Augsburg, Augustana, Concordia, Luther and St. Olaf. “We pride ourselves on global education and I think this is one way for us to practice globally within the United States,” said Claudia Berguson, associate professor of Norwegian and Scandinavian Studies at PLU. The annual three-day event that takes place in Minneapolis, is intended to inspire students and other citizens to become active participants in peacemaking efforts around the world. The multidisciplinary focus of
Elizabeth Brusco, professor of anthropology, will speak at the Second Annual Peter Berger Lecture in the Comparative Study of Religion at Boston University. The lecture, set to take place Nov. 8, is titled “Barred from the Pulpit, Absent from the Stage, and Missing in the Analysis: Why We Must Keep Women in the Foreground in Understanding Global Pentecostalism.” Jason Skipper, associate professor of English, has been notified that his debut novel, “Hustle,” was selected by the PEN Center USA as one of three finalists for the 2012 literary award for fiction. Douglas Oakman, professor of New Testament, has published the “The Political Aims of Jesus: Peasant Politics in Herodian Galilee” (Fortress Press). The book revives the eighteenth-century thesis of Hermann Samuel Reimarus, that Jesus’ material political aims were redirected by his posthumous followers toward otherworldly salvation. Cameron Bennett, dean of the school of arts and communication, was appointed to the Washington State Arts Commission by Governor Chris Gregoire. Bennett
is one of 19 members appointed by the governor on a board of 23, four of which are legislators. Laura Majovski, vice president for student life and dean of students, was named the recipient of the 2012-2013 Scott Goodnight Award in Region V of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. The award recognizes a senior student-affairs officer who exemplifies a sustained professional service in student affairs. Maria ChavezPringle, associate professor of political science, delivered in September the address “Diversity and Social Capital: the Need to Increase Diversity in Governance and in our Professions,” to the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah. Laura McCloud, assistant professor of sociology, was featured in an article in the August 20, 2012 issue of “Inside Higher Ed,” which focused on student debt, gender and class. McCloud, along with Rachel E. Dwyer and Randy Hodson of Ohio State University, examined the debt levels at which male and female students become more likely to drop out of college than to finish their degrees.
HERE & NOW > PLU SCENE WINTER 2012 7
“Ours is not the same planet our ancestors knew and loved. And it will not be (the same) in the lifetime of all the people sitting here.” —Larry Rasmussen
The Reinhold Neibuhr Professor Emeritus of Social Ethics at Union Theological Seminary in New York, Larry Rasmussen, gives the keynote address during the 2012 Lutheran Studies Conference. (Photo by Jesse Major ’14)
8 PLU SCENE WINTER 2012 > LIFE OF THE MIND
life of the mind Lutheran Studies Conference considers perspectives on political life
I
n today’s global economy, the earth is seen as a commodity, said social ethicist Larry Rasmussen. To sustain the earth, including human life, a shift must occur to an ecological economy, where humans are not just stewards of nature, but view themselves instead as a part of nature and the ecological system. Before a full-house in the Scandinavian Cultural Center, Rasmussen presented the keynote address for the 2012 Lutheran Studies Conference – “Lutheran Perspectives on Political Life: What has God to do with Caesar?” He was the Reinhold Neibuhr Professor of Social Ethics at Union Theological Seminary in New York from 1986 to 2004. The second annual conference, held Sept. 20, was made possible by an anonymous donor who funded an endowed Chair in Lutheran Studies, which is currently held by Professor Samuel Torvend ’73. This year’s event had additional significance, as it was part of the inauguration festivities welcoming to PLU President Thomas W. Krise. He was in the audience during the conference, along with his wife, Patricia Krise. Several other PLU professors also presented at the conference. Professor of New Testament Doug Oakman opened the day with “Two Kingdoms, One Table: Jesus in Political Perspective.” Associate Professor of Constructive Theology Marit Trelstad, lectured on “Luther and Lutheran Theology: A Force of Political, Social Rebellion.”
Seth Dowland, assistant professor of American church history, also took part, discussing “From Civil Rights to the Christian Right: King, Neuhaus, and Christian Political Action.” During the keynote address, Rasmussen gave an impassioned defense why environmental issues should be the political issue of the day. “Ours is not the same planet our ancestors knew and loved,” he said. “And it will not be (the same) in the lifetime of all the people sitting here.” Next to Rasmussen were three empty chairs to signify the unrepresented and the underrepresented of earth – a reminder that all segments of life have to have a say in this world to survive. The chairs represented the natural world, the poor, and future generations of humans and other species. Rasmussen now lives in New Mexico. On a wall in his home there is a poem by Wendell Berry that reminds him of not only what is at stake, but the responsibility of all life to cherish life. “To cherish what remains of the earth and to foster its renewal is our only legitimate hope of survival,” he said, quoting Berry. The writing, Rasmussen noted, is literally “on the wall” for the human race. As much of a task as it is for humans to view themselves as part of life rather than commanders of life, the concept of dominating the natural world is a relatively new view, he noted. It’s only been in the last century, during the industrial age, that humans started to view the earth as a commodity, Rasmussen said.
As such, “nature is rendered more, not less, vulnerable,” he said. And earth is becoming less tolerant of these abuses, Rasmussen added. “We have a design problem,” he said of how our species functions with the world. We are now facing not only an environmental crisis, but a “civilization crisis,” he said. Destruction is not a sustainable way of life, he said. Religion has and can play a big role in how the species views itself within the context of the natural world. To sustain and re-vitalize, there must be a religious and a moral transition for the care of a healthy earth, Rasmussen said. God and the ecosphere must be viewed as a whole. It is the identity of the cross that calls people to care and nurture the most vulnerable, he said. Now, it is creation itself that is most vulnerable. The science of this crisis is no less valuable, in that it guides actions and explains what is happening around us, he said. “Science is indispensable because it can tell what is happening,” Rasmussen said. “Religion is in any case no substitute for science, yet few people will die for a pie chart.” He said that PLU is a place where those concepts can thrive and spread throughout the world because it is a place where vocation is not just a word, but a way of life. It is more than a moral obligation to care for the earth, it is imperative for human well-being, and the survival of the many voices that are represented by empty chairs. S —Chris Albert
LIFE OF THE MIND > PLU SCENE WINTER 2012 9
“The World Needs More PLU” PRESIDENT THOMAS W. KRISE The following is the inaugural address delivered by PLU President Thomas W. Krise during the Inauguration and Convocation Celebration at Pacific Lutheran University, September 4, 2012.
10 PLU SCENE WINTER 2012 > FEATURES
BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I’d like to have a word with the brand new freshmen and transfer students. You are, after all, my class. We all become Lutes together today. I have proof that being a new college president is just like being a new student. First, I’m pretty nervous. And excited. Second, what did your mom say to you when you said goodbye last Friday? Yesterday my mom said, “Don’t worry Tom. You’ve worked hard to get here, now it’s up to you to make the best of it. You can do it.” Whether you’re 18, 20-something, or 50-something, mom is mom, and she’s right about a lot of things. I think even the dads will admit that! For all of us, though, being nervous about a new school year will soon give way to the excitement of meeting new people and doing new things. We may get homesick for family, friends and familiar ways of doing things. But then, PLU becomes your family and your familiar place. Soon it will all be about the hard work and great fun of living the PLU experience. One day you wake up and you really feel it: “I’m a Lute.” I think that day came for me this morning! And, looking at you now, I know that feeling lasts a lifetime. And so our celebration today is two-fold. We celebrate the beginning of a new era for PLU as we open its 123th year. And we celebrate a new year and the beginning of life at PLU for you, our new students. A teacher of mine liked to remark that ceremonies such as this one today are the way we act out what we cannot say. She was right about that. Many of the elements of our ceremony of installation today stretch back to our founding in 1890. They are things we have not said but they are things that have symbolic meaning – using historic ceremony to pledge our collective support for the institution and its mission in a new period of its distinguished history. My thanks go to everyone here for being part of this special day and for caring about this institution and the precious people who make it what it is. I’d like to extend special thanks to my predecessors who join me today on the stage. We are honored to have Loren Anderson with us. His long and distinguished presidency bequeathed a robust and spirited institution. Eugene Wiegman is here as well. He had a transformational term as president and has continued to be a model citizen and leader in our community over the years since. I offer my thanks also to the members of the PLU Corporation, the Board of Regents, the Presiding Bishop, and all on the platform. Thanks too to the faculty, professional staff, and students who have made this day possible. We are honored by the presence of many community leaders and other distinguished citizens of Parkland, Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington state, and well beyond. Our festival day is made more festive and colorful by the presence of presidents and presidents’ delegates who bring greetings in person from dozens of universities across the country. I join the entire PLU community in thanking the delegates not only for their presence, but also for demonstrating, visually, that the higher education community really is a community, and that we all prosper together. I am also personally grateful for the presence of so many friends and relatives, many of whom have traveled from far away. They include my mother, Beth Krise, from South Carolina, my sister, Pat Kane, from Maryland, my wife Patty’s family – the Loves and the Bateses from Indiana, friends and high school classmates from the Virgin Islands, and friends and colleagues from places Patty and I have lived and loved over the years. I’m so pleased to have all these friends and supporters here today as we reflect on our university’s mission, values and vision; a reflection on our great, collective accomplishments to date; and a reflection on the responsibility we share to ensure a promising future for all humankind. Dare I say, “The World Needs More PLU.”
A Foundation in Lutheran Values and the Liberal Arts When Pacific Lutheran University was founded on December 11, 1890 – just one short year after the admission of Washington to statehood – our founding president, Bjug Harstad, wrote that he and his fellow founders aimed to raise “en foershte Rangs Skole” – a university of the first rank. Harstad and his fellow Norwegian pioneer founders envisioned an institution that drew upon three millennia of liberal arts tradition. It is a tradition that stretches back to the prophetic quest for social justice, to the ancient Greek tradition of philosophical inquiry, to rabbinic argumentation, to the Christian monastic schools, and to the Islamic advances in the sciences. Our founders also drew on centuries of Lutheran higher education tradition. The presence of representatives from many Lutheran colleges and universities here today is proof of the soundness and longevity of that well-established tradition. Our founders also looked to the superb American system of higher education – with its firm commitment to academic freedom, its rigorous questioning of all received opinions, and its belief in the primacy of reason. All of these – academic freedom, rigor and reason – are rooted in the great reform and revolution sparked by Martin Luther’s protest. Of course, the Reformation was as much about education and intellectual rigor as it was about religion. With his fellow reformer, Philip Melanchthon, Luther established the German pattern of secondary and tertiary education upon which the American system was modeled in the later nineteenth century. Professor Luther’s reform of both faith and education came about as a result of his asking troubling questions, for which he got into trouble. Luther and Melanchthon have shown us that colleges and universities are, and must remain, places to ask troubling questions, to debate, to make society uncomfortable, to seek knowledge wherever it might lead. The protection and promotion of academic freedom – the freedom to question, to teach, to learn, to publish and to broadcast – is a sacred trust. The Scandinavian pioneers in the Pacific Northwest founded not only universities and schools, but also hospitals, libraries, and mutual benefit associations to carry out Luther’s call for the care of all aspects of the human condition. This tradition of caring for others, for ensuring their education, and for fostering leaders committed to service to others finds itself well represented in PLU’s mission statement: We seek to educate students for lives of thoughtful inquiry, service, leadership, and care – for other people, for their communities, and for the earth. At PLU today, our distinctive expression of American higher education includes a superb liberal arts curriculum – with its stellar faculty and students in the sciences and social sciences, in the humanities, in music (so well represented here today), and in the fine and performing arts. It also includes a suite of select graduate and professional programs that all seek to build our students’ capacity to serve the world – nursing, marriage and family therapy, finance, education, creative writing, and business. So, you see, the world needs more PLU.
As a community and as individuals, PLU people care about the development and success of our students and of each other. We have high expectations for achievement – reaching back to the university of the first rank envisioned by our founders – and manifested in the ways Lutes are able to achieve even beyond their initial ambitions.
Lives of Service and Care As a community and as individuals, PLU people care about the development and success of our students and of each other. We have high expectations for achievement – reaching back to the university of the first rank envisioned by our founders – and manifested in the ways Lutes are able to achieve even beyond their initial ambitions. This achievement comes from the way our faculty engage as teachers and mentors. People learn best from people they care about. To meet the challenges of the world’s problems, we need more people spurred onto excellence by people they care about. The world needs more PLU. Our care for others and for the earth prompts our commitment not only to vocation but also to issues of diversity, justice and sustainability. This month marks the 50th
FEATURES > PLU SCENE WINTER 2012 11
anniversary of the publication of Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring,” which is credited with sparking the environmental movement in which PLU has been such a dedicated player. As much as Carson’s call to environmental action warned of danger, she also inspired us to care for the beauty of the earth, not merely its utility, when she noted that: “Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature – the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.” To meet the environmental challenges we all face, we need more places to model sustainable practices, to study and to try out new ways of living responsibly and being faithful stewards of God’s creation. In this way, too, the world needs more PLU.
A Global University
They know what you are sure to discover: college education makes it more possible to lead a well-lived life, a life of purpose and meaning, a life of achievement and satisfaction.
For PLU, care for the earth and its people is intertwined in our robust commitment to international education – underscored by our firm partnerships with our Gateway Countries of Trinidad and Tobago, Norway, Namibia, Mexico, and China. These partnerships, coupled with our happy location in a major port city in the Pacific Northwest, in a key spot on the Pacific Rim – help make international education at PLU so distinctive. Robust engagement with the world means much more than mere touring. Study and preparation before studying abroad, together with reflection and analysis afterward, are characteristic of the way PLU approaches international education. And we also highly value the rich diversity of nationalities and cultures we attract to PLU from across our own country and from others – and we embrace and celebrate the cultures and ethnicities in our own Puget Sound region. I’ve heard eloquent testimonials from students about how much they have learned about the world from their international classmates. So, you see, global engagement at PLU means much more than studying abroad. PLU has inspired countless alumni to work and travel and engage with people around the globe in positive and uplifting ways. Not only does PLU cherish our diverse world – the world needs more PLU.
Wild Hope The reflections we have shared and the ceremonies we have witnessed on this combined inauguration and convocation day have given all of you – but especially our new students – a glimpse into our institutional history; our mission, our purpose and our values; our more recent accomplishments and some of our aspirations for the future. But in the end, PLU is all about you, our students. PLU’s strong commitment is to help you realize your Wild Hope – your vocation, your calling, your purpose in life. PLU’s Wild Hope Center for Vocation takes inspiration for its name from Mary Oliver’s question in her poem The Summer’s Day: “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” she asks. We at PLU start the process of helping you discover your Wild Hope right at the start. You have already been engaged in a lively and stimulating orientation program for the past several days. You have already begun asking yourselves what we call the Big Enough Questions: “What skills do I have?” “How can I best matter to other people?” “What legacy do I want to leave behind?” Our professional staff and faculty members have been prodding you to take full advantage of the smorgasbord of opportunities we offer at PLU. We do so with the goal of helping you figure out what you’re good at and how you might use your abilities to make a difference in the world. I know I’ve learned a lot about my own Wild Hope, and have found it here at PLU. In fact, PLU is full of people for whom the life of the mind and the teaching of students like you is their Wild Hope – and we all can help you find yours. We will present you with opportunities to meet and hear about the many distinguished Lutes who’ve made a difference in the world – many of whom are here in this hall with us today.
12 PLU SCENE WINTER 2012 > FEATURES
Imagine yourself following in the footsteps of the Honorable Joyce Anne Barr, Class of 1976, who was just appointed United States Assistant Secretary of State for Administration, capping a distinguished Foreign Service career that included serving as U.S. Ambassador to Namibia. Your fellow Lutes include Brian Bannon, Class of 1997, who was recently appointed head of the country’s second largest library system, the Chicago Public Library. Or prepare yourself to literally change the world just like William Foege, M.D., Class of 1956, who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom this May for devising the global strategy for the eradication of smallpox when he served as Director of the Centers for Disease Control. And among your own near contemporaries, four members of the Class of 2012 showed great promise for the future by winning Fulbright Scholarships, bringing to 91 the number of Fulbrights won by Lutes. These awards went to Mycal Ford, who will be going to Taiwan; Carolyn Hylander, who is going to Colombia; Gretchen Nagel, who is going to Germany; and Caitlin Walton, who is going to Malaysia. The more we know about PLU and our Lutes, the more we know that the world needs more PLU. The world needs more of the kind of people we attract to PLU – people who feel called to serve other people, to meet and overcome the world’s challenges – people who “care.” You’ve come to a serious university that is serious about your success. We depend on you to be the best you can be so you and we can help solve the world’s problems. You are embarking on this educational adventure in a period in which many of the most influential institutions don’t last very long. Industries and technologies are changing rapidly. Companies and corporations come and go. Several of the biggest and most influential companies of today didn’t exist when most of you new students were born. In fact, we are all living through a period of revolutionary change every bit as important as the industrial revolution of the 19th century, the scientific revolution of the 17th century, and the literacy revolution of the 16th century. Today you’re joining an institution approaching its quasquicentennial (our 125th anniversary); we’re part of a nearly thousand-year-old tradition of higher education. PLU bears an important responsibility for establishing standards of excellence and preserving the memory of achievement. It is because we will prepare you to measure up to these standards that the world needs more PLU. Institutions like PLU not only help create the future – by teaching you to be creators of new knowledge – but we also preserve, conserve, memorialize, and celebrate culture and achievement. Many of the buildings and halls and classrooms you’ll be living and learning in bear the names of those who have made a difference in the world, and who wanted to give you the chance to make a difference. They know what you are sure to discover: college education makes it more possible to lead a well-lived life, a life of purpose and meaning, a life of achievement and satisfaction. That life of achievement and satisfaction may seem a ways off for you at the moment. But, as you learned in orientation, that nervousness you (and I) feel is education working inside us. This whole community is here to help you succeed and to become someone who discovers your vocation and lives a life caring about others, your communities and the earth. The world needs more PLU – it needs you and what you can bring to the world. To preside over as great an enterprise as Pacific Lutheran University is a humbling honor. This ceremony today symbolizes our heritage and formally opens a new epoch. This robe and this seal feel very heavy to me, and they remind me of the weight of responsibility that they symbolize. I promise I won’t forget. I pledge my constant care and concern for the university’s people, for its tradition, for its excellence, for its ambition and for its future, because the world needs more PLU. S
“The World Needs More PLU”
FEATURES > PLU SCENE WINTER 2012
13
PHot o s BY John Froschauer 14 PLU SCENE WINTER 2012 > FEATURES
Real-World
Ment o Rs
F
or decades, Pacific Lutheran University has built a reputation for sending talented, proficient students into the workplace. Their success is proof that challenging academics – hours spent in the classroom and laboratory, the practice room and concert hall, the playing field and court – all while working closely with professors, will indeed produce results. By the time PLU students receive a diploma, they are fully equipped for success in the world. A PLU education, however, does not stop at graduation. The education continues, as graduates plug into a network of people who share a common bond – those who know what it means to be a Lute. These are five profiles of recent PLU graduates who have taken their degree, entered the workplace, and made a connection with a fellow Lute. There, they have found colleagues, mentors, friends – all who share a unique understanding of the value of the PLU experience.
ReAD Mo Re >
FEATURES > PLU SCENE WINTER 2012
15
Real-World
Ment o Rs
‘We give them opportunities. It’s the remarkable talent and intellect of our graduates that get them jobs’
I
f there is one discipline where finding a job is heavily weighted on “who you know,” it’s the arts, even more so with opera.
As Sorayah Surkatty reflects on her new career in the realm of big voices and classical music, she is well aware of that fact. The vocal performance graduate counts her connections with her voice coach and PLU music lecturer Holly Boaz, and Jim Brown, associate professor of music, with securing her connections with the Vashon Opera on Vashon Island, Wash. Surkatty recalls Boaz initially recommending her for a part in Hansel and Gretel with the opera company. She played Gretel. Then Brown hired her this fall to work on a stage production of “Cosi fan tutte” by Mozart. She clearly relishes the chance, to both sing and help with the productions of the relatively new company. “People really appreciate doing business with people they like, and that’s all the more true for the arts world,” Surkatty said. “In opera, a lot of the castings begin with 16 PLU SCENE WINTER 2012 > FEATURES
Profile my home in the choir,” she said.
Sorayah Surkatty ’10 MAJOR Vocal performance EMPLOYER Vashon Opera PLU CONNECTION Associate Professor of Music, Jim Brown, and PLU Music Lecturer, Holly Boaz
recommendations. That’s eventually how you land the big gigs.” That, and a passion for your craft. Surkatty was born in the United States, and then traveled back with her family to Indonesia when she was only a few weeks old. Her family returned to the Yakima, Wash., area when she was 14 – in the middle of the winter. Not only was the weather a shock to the high school freshman, but the culture was a shock as well. She was more acclimated to a laid back atmosphere and tropical climates. “I was really lost when I came here. But then I found my friends,
As for opera, Surkatty was hooked when a traveling opera production came to her high school “and just blew me away. Before that, I thought it was all fat lady with the horns, but there’s such a magnificent beauty to an operatic voice.” And when it came time to choose a college? “For me, there was no other choice,” she laughed. “It was PLU or bust.” Part of her focus on PLU stemmed from the reputation of its music department, as well as the connections and reputations of the professors. It’s those connections with the local arts scene that has served many graduates well. “In this job market, or really any job market, it never hurts,” Brown said of the topic of recommendations and “who you know.” But he’d like to make one clarification. “I don’t think really any of us ‘get these people jobs,’” he said. “We give them opportunities. It’s the remarkable talent and intellect of our graduates that get them jobs.” B A R B A R A
C L E M E N T S
‘so much of what we learned in the education department really sets us apart from others’
s
ometimes the connection occurs in the job search, but other times, that key link with a fellow Lute may occur after a career is launched. That was certainly the case with Maura Gannon. During Gannon’s School of Education graduation ceremony two years ago, she remembers hearing Erin Jones speak about her experiences in the field and what inspired her. She encouraged the new graduates to go out into the world and make a difference. Two years later, their paths crossed again, much to Gannon’s delight.
“That would be incredible,” Gannon recalled saying. “It’s funny because in the world of education she’s a big deal, and I felt like ‘wow’ Erin Jones knows my name.”
Gannon was entering her third year as a third-grade teacher at Mirror Lake Elementary School in Federal Way and Jones was in her first year as the director of equity and achievement for the district. Jones’ job entailed traveling throughout the district teaching workshops, including at Mirror Lake.
And as a mentor, Jones is bringing more to Mirror Lake than just helping a single teacher, Gannon noted. “I don’t think she realizes she’s not just affecting me and my 25 kids, but she’s impacting our whole school,” Gannon said.
“We connected right away,” Jones said. She was asked to do some intensive work on team building with a few teachers, including Gannon. Before the school year started, Jones asked Gannon if she could be her mentor.
Profile Maura Gannon MAJOR Education
Jones was excited because so much of her philosophy as an administrator is to stay connected to the classroom. She told Gannon’s class at the beginning of the year that she had basically adopted all of them. As one of PLU’s first Act Six Scholars, Jones reflected that, in a sense, she’s continuing the first experience she had at PLU: becoming part of something bigger and part of a community. In Gannon, Jones sees someone who is doing what PLU instilled in her. “I think what excites me about Maura and why I’m eager to mentor her, is that before we even talked about mentoring she was already asking for help and doing more to learn more,” Jones said. “For someone that is eager to learn, I will make ’10 the time. She’s already doing great things.”
EMPLOYER Federal Way School District PLU CONNECTION Erin Jones ’01, Director of Equity and Achievement at the Federal Way School District
The pair is just implementing the skills they were both taught at PLU, Gannon said.
“So much of what we learned in the education department really sets us apart from others,” Gannon said. “I’m practicing what I learned and I feel like I came into teaching with 20 more sets of skills than other new teachers.” C H R I S
A L B E R T
next Page FEATURES > PLU SCENE WINTER 2012
17
Real-World
Ment o Rs ‘Lutes always seem to be a few steps ahead of the others’
18 PLU SCENE WINTER 2012 > FEATURES
Profile Bryce Manso ’10 MAJOR Biology EMPLOYER Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center PLU CONNECTION Everyone! His boss, his profs, his colleagues
F
ive weeks after Bryce Manso graduated with his biology degree from PLU, he got his first job as a lab technician at Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. He remembers his interview well. Before Manso could even shake his hand, his interviewer enthusiastically said to him: “Go Lutes!" The interviewer would be Manso’s future boss. And while his boss didn't attend PLU, his wife did. In fact, the two had the same swim coach 15 years apart. In the two years he has been working at The Hutch, Manso has worked in four different areas of the lab, and he’s already been promoted. He is currently responsible for efficacy studies on the HIV vaccine trials conducted in the research and development department. He credits his professors in the PLU biology department, particularly Mary Ellard-Ivey and Ann Auman, for being able to move so fluidly – and quickly – up the ranks. “My profs had a very similar view: No matter what we were studying, they would always bring it back to the bigger picture,” Manso said. “They would put everything we were learning in context, quite literally saying, ‘here’s how this will look in the workplace.’” That ability to take scientific concepts and quickly implement them
in the workplace has served him well. It has served other PLU graduates well, too. Manso says he is in one of the larger labs at the research center and, by his unofficial count, PLU has a higher representation in his lab than any other university, except perhaps the much larger University of Washington. The large number of Lutes builds a certain camaraderie in the lab – Julie Williams ’09 and Tisha Graham ’09 will also attest to that. In the years he’s been at The Hutch, Manso has noticed that, among the new employees that join his lab, it is the PLU students who seem to be significantly more self-reliant than graduates from other schools. “Lutes always seem to be a few steps ahead of others,” he said. He chalks that up to the preparation he and his colleagues received at PLU. “The professors always prepared us for how things would be in the ‘real world,’” Manso said. “They kept saying you’ll use [these skills] for the next 50 years of your life. “And so far,” he added, “they were exactly right.” S T E V E
H A N S E N
PLU graduates have the skills. now, a central place to make a connection Bobbi Hughes, Executive Director of Career Connections, would like all Lutes who are looking for a job, or have a position to offer, to check out the Career Connections website at www.plu.edu/careerconnections. Of special interest for both employers and alumni is the newly created Career Connections Opportunities Board. For students, the online resource will be a centralized location for all oncampus jobs, as well as state work-study jobs and internships. For PLU students and alumni, it will be a resource for full-time career placement. Alumni are encouraged to get involved, especially those who have graduated in the past two years. “Many alumni think that once they’ve graduated, that’s it,” Hughes said. “And the fact is, they can use our services for free for up to two years after graduation. We help with the job searches, resume reviews and we can talk with them by phone or by Skype.” And if an alumnus knows of a job within their organization, Hughes encourages them to send it to Career Connections at career@plu.edu. The site is also great for employers, she said. In the past, if a company had multiple offerings to post – say, an internship and a full-time position – they would often have to go to separate locations to post the announcement. Now, both students and employers can all go to the same place. Hughes estimated that over 800 employers have put jobs on the site, and currently there are 230 active jobs in the system. B A R B A R A
C L E M E N T S
next Page FEATURES > PLU SCENE WINTER 2012
19
Real-World
Ment o Rs
A
s part of her senior year capstone project, Jessica McGifford was required to take an internship. Through a recommendation from the PLU Women’s Center, she wound up at Pierce County’s Crystal Judson Family Justice Center, working with individuals and families affected by domestic violence. There, she met Abi McLane, the victim services supervisor, and also a PLU grad. McGifford and McLane were never on campus at the same time, but their experiences are remarkably similar. Both were sociology and women’s and gender studies double-majors. Both built lasting relationships with their professors and PLU staff-members who, now that McGifford and McLane are in the working world, have turned into professional relationships. And, most certainly, both developed real-world tools through mentoring and training programs at places like the Women’s Center. For graduates like McGifford and McLane who aspire for a career in advocacy, there is no better way to prepare. “The interns who go through the PLU sexual assault peer education team training program are prepared weeks in advance (compared to other schools),” McLane said. “That has to do with the mentoring and the faculty at PLU. The professional identity of PLU students comes out a lot sooner.” McLane would know. In addition to being the victim services supervisor for the Family Justice Center, she runs its countywide internship program, too. When McGifford reflects on her senior internship at the Family Justice Center, she recalls how explicit McLane was with her. “Abi made it clear to me,” she said. “She gave me a list and said ‘here are all of the things you will be able to do after your four-month internship.’ And she was exactly right.”
20 PLU SCENE WINTER 2012 > FEATURE
‘t he professional identity of PLU students comes out a lot sooner’
Profile Jessica McGifford ’12 MAJOR Sociology and Women’s and Gender Studies EMPLOYER Our Sister’s House PLU CONNECTION Abi McLane ’08, victim services supervisor at Crystal Judson Family Justice Center
McLane added: “On that list is everything we would want an entry-level advocate to be able to do. When they leave here, we know they can say ‘I have the skills.’” McGifford did have the skills – it was evident just one month after she graduated in May. When a position opened at Our Sister’s House, a non-profit agency that provides domestic violence services to families and youth, which is a community partner of the Family Justice Center, McLane suggested McGifford apply. She was scheduled first-thing Monday morning. By the end of the interview,
McGifford was told, “here’s some paperwork you need to fill out. It’s for your new job.” McLane said that type of connection is not unique. After all, she too was able to take the skills she gained at PLU, combine them with an internship brokered by her mentors at the Women’s Center, and turn it into a job. “Our Sister’s House has a long history of hiring people from PLU,” McLane said. She was hardly the first. In fact, PLU has been placing students in the social work field for decades. S T E V E
H A N S E N
‘I just opened the door and he walked through it, fully prepared’
V
ictor Bull and his admissions advisor Melannie Denise Cunningham were in a verbal bean bag toss as they relaxed on a warm day this fall just off of Red Square. “I give all the credit to her,” Bull said, as he talked about first finding an internship, and then a job, at State Farm. “I just opened the door and he walked through it, fully prepared,” said Cunningham, PLU’s director of multicultural recruitment. The conversation goes on like this for some time, but in the end, they both agree that the strong connections that PLU has with its local business community was key in both getting Bull his first internship and getting his career launched. He recently moved back to the San Francisco Bay area for another State Farm job. Looking back, Bull laughed as he recalled that he wasn’t even considering PLU when he visited the Seattle-Tacoma area on his college tours. He knew he wanted to get out of California, and he knew he wanted a smallish college. He knew he wanted to play basketball, but since “I wasn’t basketball draft material” he wanted a college that would give him a good education and have strong connections to the business community. But still, Bull said his mom’s jaw dropped when he told her of his decision to go to PLU. “She’d thought I’d never want to go to a Lutheran college,” he laughed. Almost from the moment he stepped on campus, a series of mentors took Bull under their collective wings. Basketball Coach Steve Dickerson immediately introduced Bull to Cunningham, who introduced him to key upper class-
Profile Victor Bull ’11 MAJOR Business with a marketing emphasis EMPLOYER State Farm Insurance PLU CONNECTION Melannie Denise Cunningham ’12, PLU Director of Multicultural Recruitment
men. When Bull inquired about an internship, Cunningham knew how to connect the dots. She first reached out to an acquaintance working at State Farm, who is a recruiter for their intern program. It all led to Bull applying, interviewing and compet-
ing in a very rigorous process that led to him being hired for a summer internship during his sophomore year at the DuPont, Wash., firm. He was offered a job in the claims department upon his graduation with a business degree. “He did the work,” Cunningham cut in, unwilling to have Bull hand her all the credit. “He was prepared. He showed up ready for the interview and ready for the challenge.” S B A R B A R A
C L E M E N T S
FEATURE > PLU SCENE WINTER 2012 21
Fields of Dreams Changes to PLU’s athletic facilities will improve not only the student-athlete experience, but the experience of all students By STEVE HANSEN
22 PLU SCENE WINTER 2012 > FEATURES
IN MANY WAYS, the season opening 4-2 victory over Trinity Lutheran College was like so many women’s soccer matches on PLU’s lower campus. It was a beautiful blue-sky summer day with gray-and-white striations of Mt. Rainier glistening in the distance, and the evergreen firs looming just south of the soccer field. And the grass was green. Really green. Artificial-green green. For the women’s soccer players who were the first athletes to officially compete on the synthetic-surface sports field, that color couldn't have been more beautiful.
The lighted multi-purpose field, on which the men’s and women’s soccer teams will play their home matches, is just one part of a long list of athletic facility renovations that have been made during the past few years. Some changes – like the artificial turf field and a new natural turf field that will be in play soon or the new grandstand installed at the baseball field last year – are obvious. Others may not be immediately apparent to the casual eye, like the construction of an all-weather track (which allowed the university the honor of hosting the 2012 Northwest Conference Championships last May), the rebuilt roof over the swimming pool,
or the revamped locker rooms in both Olson and the swimming pool. Either way, it is clear that much is happening on PLU’s lower campus. All told, several million dollars worth of improvements have already taken place here in the past two years. There is more to come with the end goal to not only improve the student-athlete experience, but also improve the experience of all students, as part of PLU’s educational goal of “educating the whole student.” At the groundbreaking ceremony for the multipurpose field last May, Director of Athletics Laurie Turner said NEXT PAGE
The new synthetic-turf field is now the home for the men’s and women’s soccer teams
FEATURES > PLU SCENE WINTER 2012 23
Fields of Dreams the new field would “level the playing field,” in regards to raising where PLU athletic facilities rank in the Northwest Conference. That is not only a metaphor. Speaking with Erica Boyle, a senior midfielder on the women’s soccer team, the “level playing field” is a literal descriptor, too. “It is awesome,” she said. “It is so nice to have that consistency, to know that with every touch of the ball, it will behave the same way – that your pass isn’t going to hit some random hole.” That’s what comes with having only one soccer field, used both for practice and competition – plus an occasional football practice. Boyle, a Lakewood, Colo., native, notes that in previous years, the soccer field was suffering from overuse, even by the middle of the season. To combat that, all three teams would sometimes practice off-campus to lessen the damage, often at irregular times. The lighted synthetic turf field, in addition to the old soccer field, allows all the teams the chance to practice on campus, at more regular intervals. That’s good for practice. That’s also good for the real reason they’re here – coursework. According to Boyle, there seems to be another benefit. She also guides tours for prospective students for the Office of Admission. She said that when she would take students to lower campus, she was not exactly ashamed of the facilities, but she knew they were nothing to boast about. That, she said, has changed. She notices that prospective students, athletes or not, have an interest in the continued development and upgrades to the athletic facilities. “People like to see that progress is happening,” she said. That progress was formally celebrated on October 12 at the dedication ceremony of the new field. Many members of the PLU community were in attendance to celebrate the results of the $3.5 million effort, funded by gifts 24 PLU SCENE WINTER 2012 > FEATURES
Workers lay down the lines on the synthetic-turf field
from more than 400 donors and at least 20 former and current regents – including a generous $1 million gift from PLU Regent Donald Wilson ’74 and his wife, Kim ’76. The hope is that the enthusiasm and support at the dedication ceremony will carry over to the new projects still scheduled for lower campus. For instance, PLU is in the final leg of installing artificial infield turf on the baseball field, and is raising money for the installation of lights. The improvements will not only make the field more durable during the wet spring season, but it will make PLU eligible for consideration as a NCAA Division III regional tournament site. PLU is also in the midst of fundraising for planned improvement to the softball field, home to the current NCAA Division III champions, and for continued renovations to the swimming pool, which is nearly 50 years old. Further in the distance are plans for a rebuilt football field and stadium
Erica Boyle intercepts a pass against Trinity Lutheran
complex, also on lower campus. The swimming pool and track are great examples of facility improvements that don’t simply benefit PLU’s Division III student-athletes. It was a point Turner made last year when the refurbished
After rebuilding the roof, workers complete annual maintenance on the pool
track was dedicated. Updating the track provides not only a better site for hosting the NWC championships, but a better facility for use by the entire PLU student body and local community. “The track is a university facility that serves many constituents,” Turner said. Even though the new soccer field was open only to PLU’s athletes this fall, come spring, when field space isn’t at a premium, it is likely to serve many more constituents. For instance, club sports, such as Ultimate Frisbee and lacrosse that play in the spring, will also have the opportunity to utilize the field. There are even red and blue lacrosse lines built into the synthetic turf. “What it means,” said Craig McCord ’83, the director of club sports at PLU, “is that the lacrosse team and the Ultimate Frisbee teams will actually be able to have home games, playing in front of their friends and fans on campus.” In recent years, PLU’s lacrosse and Ultimate Frisbee teams have had to rent
“This will allow us to meet the demand, and allows us to expand what we can offer to the students.”—Jud Keim field space from, say, Pierce County Parks if they wanted to play a home game. With access to these new campus fields, not only will these club athletes be able to play where they learn and practice, but the money they raise to support their club teams can be used for travel and equipment. Jud Keim ’86, director of intramural programs at PLU, sees a whole new world of opportunity open to students. Every year, more than 400 students play intramural sports, ranging from traditional sports like softball, flag football and soccer, to more playful ones like dodgeball. In all, there are more than 30 sports opportunities a year, geared toward all students – those who live-andbreath sports to those who’ve never played before, but want to try. ALUMNI NEWS & EVENTS> PLU SCENE WINTER 2012 25
For PLU intramural sports, all are welcome. Unless there isn’t enough field space to accommodate everyone – a problem that sometimes Keim encounters. Take intramural softball, for example. Over the years, Keim has been forced to limit the number of teams that could sign up for softball – given space considerations and the amount of available daylight after class, and he could only fit 12 teams a season. There was much more demand on campus for that. Now, Keim says he can have one league on Foss Field, and another league on the new fields. He also sees a scenario where he might have enough field space to launch a spring soccer league – something he’s never been able to do before. “The thing with intramurals, we could only get so big,” he said. “This will allow us to meet the demand, and allows us to expand what we can offer to the students.” S Reporting by Chris Albert, Barbara Clements and Nick Dawson contributed to this story. FEATURES > PLU SCENE WINTER 2012 25
alumni news
ALUMNI BOARD
MEMBERS
ssica
xel, Je Tomlinson, Jan Pra le Row: Stephanie dd Mi ld un Fie Ch rl Ca vid ll, Da , , Dale Haarr by, Pam Russe Top row: Kelly Ryan tte Stixrud, Jim Kittils Bottom Row: Anne Holden, Laurie Soine
L
aurie Soine, Vice President of the Alumni Board, had the opportunity to welcome President Thomas W. Krise and Mrs. Patricia Krise at the Presidential Inauguration and Convocation. Her poignant remarks also served as a reminder of the passion for and dedication to the larger PLU community: “I am honored to be here this morning representing the alumni of Pacific Lutheran University – today you officially become part of this extraordinary community. A community that will teach you, a community that will encourage you, a community that will challenge you to be the masterfully created persons so needed in today’s world! Dr. Krise, Patty, and the incoming first year class – on behalf of the alumni of Pacific Lutheran University, I welcome you to this distinguished community. A community that extends far beyond the campus in Parkland. We, the larger PLU community, wish for you in the months and years ahead experiences that will inspire and nourish your minds, experiences that will inspire and nourish your bodies, and experiences that will inspire and nourish your spirits.” –LAURIE SOINE ’87
Want to get involved?
www.plu.edu/alumni/Get-Involved/Alumni-Board 26 PLU SCENE WINTER 2012 > ALUMNI NEWS & EVENTS
Pam (Weeks ’72) Russell President San Diego, CA Laurie Soine ’87 Vice President Seattle, WA David Chun ’84 Kaneohe, HI Carl Field ’08 Seattle, WA Brandon Fix ’96 Tacoma, WA Tom Gilmer ’58 Lakewood, WA Dale Haarr ’89 Billings, MT Jessica Holden ’07 Anchorage, AK David Johnson ’74 Regent Representative Mt. Vernon, WA Isaiah Johnson ’96 Auburn, WA Jim Kittilsby ’60 Tacoma, WA Judy Perry ’63 Kiawah Island, SC Jan (Swanson ’70) Praxel Spokane, WA Kelly Ryan ’10 Chevy Chase, MD Annette (Foege ’61) Stixrud Wilsonville, OR Stephanie (Merle ’97) Tomlinson Nampa, ID LeAnne (Jones ’02) Wiles Seattle, WA The PLU Alumni Board consists of 17 PLU alumni elected by the Alumni Association to represent their interests to the university. The board meets twice a year on campus and conducts much of its business at that time. The Alumni Board provides ongoing input into the many programs and services administered by the Alumni and Constituent Relations staff.
PARENTS COUNCIL Pete and Joan’s son, Steven Mattich ’13 (far left), has worked in the Office of Alumni and Constituent Relations as a student intern since his first year at PLU. Joining him here at Homecoming 2012 are a few fellow student interns showing off their PLU hall pride. (From back, left to right) Mattich, Amanda Williams ’16, Andrew Buttz ’15; (Front) student supervisor Adrianne (Cryer ’09) Jamieson, Lauren Peterson ’14 and Cole Chernushin ’15.
MEMBERS On behalf of the PL U Parents Council, we would like to se greetings to the wh nd ole PLU community . The Parents Counc sponsored by the O il, ffice of Alumni and Constituent Relatio is comprised of pare ns, nts of fulltime unde rgraduate students objective is to gene whose rate and maintain th e goodwill and suppor of student families t and help to inform other parents about aspects of the univer sity. It seems like only ye sterday we were help ing our son, Steven all of his belongings carry up five flights of sta irs into Tingelstad Hall with the help of the , Lute football team. Now that Steven is senior, and as we wr a ap up our almost fo ur years as PLU pare we reflect upon wh nts, at we have apprecia ted the most about university. PLU is tru th e ly a welcoming com munity, dedicated to helping students fin d their life passion and where they are to serve in the world called . PLU is a special pl ace and we are hono to serve as the co-cha red irs of the Parents C ouncil. –PETE ’78 AND JO AN
(NELSON ’77) MAT
TICH
Want to get involved? www.plu.edu/parents/Get-Involved
Bob ’79 and Cheri (Lust ’79) Adams Portland, OR Christine Anderson Saint Louis Park, MN Mo and Tina Fahnestock Saint Paul, MN Diane (Nieman ’80) Gunstone Sequim, WA Michelle (Denning ’85) Hellwig Bigfork, MT Marvin ’80 and Kay (Landerholm ’81) Lansverk Bozeman, MT James and Christy Lineweaver Tacoma, WA Pete ’78 and Joan (Nelson ’77) Mattich Co-Chairs Olympia, WA Ben ’78 and Ellen (Govig ’86) McCracken Tacoma, WA Lonnie and LaTanya McKinney Tacoma, WA Patrick and Debra Reisenthel Pleasanton, CA Evan (Adelson ’77) and Mark Sorensen Veradale, WA Paul and Debi (Consear ’83) Stromberg Happy Valley, OR Lynette White Tacoma, WA Bill and Rebecca Young Boise, ID Jamey Young ’83 and Joy Harding-Young ’87 Juneau, AK
ALUMNI NEWS & EVENTS > PLU SCENE WINTER 2012 27
28 PLU SCENE WINTER 2012 > ALUMNI NEWS & EVENTS
ALUMNI NEWS & EVENTS > PLU SCENE WINTER 2012 29
alumni news & events continued
LEGACY LUTES Each fall we welcome new students to our campus. The Office of Alumni and Constituent Relations extends a special welcome to our “Legacy Lutes” – those students whose parent(s) also attended and/or graduated from PLU. We recognize this extra special commitment to their alma mater and are thrilled to have their sons and daughters carry on their legacy. Please note that only parents who attended PLU are listed below.
Camille Adams Robert Adams ’79 and Cheri (Lust ’79) Adams Amy Arand Elizabeth (Sundell ’79) Arand Kathryn Ayres Robert Ayres ’69 and Carol (Mathews ’73) Ayres Emily Baier Thomas Baier ’85 and Julie (Smith ’91) Baier Adam Batinich Cheryl Goldberg ’81 Alison Behrends Heidi (Hahn ’84) Behrends Madelyn Bernard Barbara (Hilken ’85) Bernard Mikayla Borg Jamin Borg ’86 and Karen (Shaw ’86) Borg Madeleine Brekke Tina Olson ‘90 David Buchholz Brian Buchholz ’91 and Janet (Hart ’84) Buchholz Anna Bullock Geoff Bullock ’87 and Ruth (Christianson ’85) Bullock Kevin Burch John Burch ’72 and Barbara (Wahlstrom ’75) Burch Camille Carlson Eric Carlson ’81 and Kari (Hanson ’82) Carlson Amy Charlston Paul Charlston ’77 and Leigh (Kullberg ’80) Charlston BrandonLee Cierley Frances Cierley ‘88 Marissa Dizon Daniel Dizon ‘94 Jennifer Dyer Becky (Bowers ’83) Dyer Michaela Edgers Deann (Jay ’82) Edgers
30 PLU SCENE WINTER 2012 > ALUMNI NEWS & EVENTS
Anna Eide Lynne (Hansen ’84) Eide Alexis Engman Timothy Engman ’89 and Lisa (Linterman ’90) Engman Leah Gibbon Cindy (Brennan ’77) Gibbon Andrew Gunstone Reed Gunstone ’77 and Diane (Nieman ’80) Gunstone Hannah Hansen Jane Hanson ’93 Gaelan Hartliep Glenine Collins ‘07 Scott Hefty Peter Hefty ’88 and Vicki (Miller ’85) Hefty Justin Holland Sheryl Bennett-Holland ‘86 Quinn Huelsbeck Karin Huelsbeck ’99
Sevryn Modahl Dennis Modahl ‘82 Erica Moen Daniel Moen ‘88 Andrew Morris Karen Morris ‘05 Jerard Mower Steven Mower ‘70 Patrick Nance Patricia Nance ’98 Lian Pauly Tammy (Rogers) Pauly ‘82 Jordanne Perry John Perry ’91 and Betsy (Deuitch ’90) Perry Cierra Pettit Douglas Galloway ‘89 Sam Shepard Tracie (Reynolds ’89) Shepard Thomas Simpkins Doreen Beard-Simpkins ‘11 Jillian Stanphill John Stanphill ‘93 John Struzenberg Teri (Torgeson ’80) Bottoms
Torsten Ingvaldsen Trond Ingvaldsen ’87 and Catherine Rhoades-Ingvaldsen ‘85
Madison Thackara Coy (Wilson ’79) Howar
Jessika Iverson Michael Iverson ‘94
Erika Tobin Beth (Williams ’84) Tobin
Caitlin Karr Petra (Rowe ’82) Karr
Grant Walker Robin (Blanchard ’86) Walker
Michael Krenning David Krenning ‘85
William Waters William Waters ’01 and Gail Waters ‘95
Alek Lara Mariano Lara ‘05
Katie Wentzel Audrey (Vilstrup ’81) Wentzel
Lauren Larson Richard Larson ‘89
Amanda Williams Carl (Butch) Williams ’80 and Susan (Roalkvam ’80) Williams
Kevin Lester Robert Lester, III ‘80 Paul Lester Robert Lester, III ‘80 William Lockert James Lockert ‘76 Stephanie Martin Christina (Doelman ’83) Martin Lucas Martinson David Martinson ‘80 Zachary Martinson David Martinson ‘80 Bryce Miller Mark Miller ’88; Connie (Eliason ’88) Miller
Nicole Wirth Angela Foster ‘07 Alyssa Wolfe John Wolfe ’87 and Deborah (Osborn ’87) Wolfe Alan Young James Young ’83 and Joy HardingYoung ‘87 Hanna Zielke Ben Zielke ’83 and Elizabeth (Birkelo ’82) Zielke
Join the
!
Click
Send holiday cheer to your PLU community!
A
re you anxious to reconnect with classmates? Why not send them a little holiday cheer this season? The PLU Alumni Online Directory makes it easy to search for those team-
mates, roommates, classmates and friends with whom you’ve lost a connection over time. Once you’ve found them, remind them of the great times you had together at PLU by adding them to your holiday mailing list. While you’re at it, don’t forget to update your own information through the directory so others can add you to their holiday lists. If you haven’t already done so, take advantage of this free resource today. To register with the PLU Alumni Online Directory go to www.plualumni.org; it takes just a couple of minutes to sign up! S
SAVE THE DATE PLU Rowing: Celebrating 50 Years April 12, 2013
Pencil Us In UPCOMING EVENTS November 2-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Family Weekend 2012
ALUMNI Recognition Award Nominations
Awards are given each year to alumni, friends and students for outstanding achievements and years of service. Nominations must include supporting letters and be returned to the Office of Alumni and Constituent Relations by Jan. 14, 2013. Here are the categories: Distinguished Alumnus/na Award Through years of dedication and service, this alumnus/na has achieved professional or vocational distinction. YOUR NOMINEE
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Outstanding Recent Alumnus/na Award Awarded to an alumnus/na, within 15 years of graduation, who has excelled in a special area of life. YOUR NOMINEE
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Heritage Award Awarded to an alumnus/na for years of distinguished service to the university. YOUR NOMINEE
November 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Parent Council Meeting
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
December 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Class Representative Day at PLU
Special Recognition Award Awarded to an alumnus/na or friend of the university who has uniquely served the university.
December 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PLU GOLD pre-concert event at Benaroya Hall, Seattle December 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PLU GOLD pre-concert event at Arlene Schnitzer Hall, Portland, Ore. December 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PLU GOLD pre-concert event, PLU campus December 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Winter Commencement, PLU January 26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PLU Alumni Basketball Night at PLU January 29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tacoma Night at PLU, Basketball vs. UPS
PLU will be “On the Road” this winter. Go to www.plualumni.org to see if we will be in your neighborhood!
YOUR NOMINEE
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Alumni Service Award Awarded to an alumnus/na who has demonstrated outstanding volunteer leadership and/or service to their community. YOUR NOMINEE
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Brian C. Olson Student Leadership Award Awarded to a senior student who has demonstrated potential for a lifelong commitment to the university and the alumni association. YOUR NOMINEE
For more information: www.plualumni.org or call 800-ALUM-PLU.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
ALUMNI NEWS & EVENTS > PLU SCENE WINTER 2012 31
alumni profiles
Goal-setting, and a unicycle, gets Tyson Bendzak to London Olympics Tyson Bendzak ’10 was asked to take his unicycle with him when Nike sent him to London to blog about the Summer Olympics.
A
passion for teaching, an interest in Nike and, oh, a unicycle. Who knew this eclectic combo would translate into an airline ticket to London this summer for Tyson Bendzak ’10? “This was such a big surprise,” said Bendzak, 25, who works as a teacher in Nike’s early childhood education program for its employees in Beaverton, Ore. “I had never been out of the U.S. before.” This fall, Bendzak was recounting his two-week adventure in London during the 2012 Olympics in August, covering various athletes and events for Nike via an employee blog. Bendzak spent much of his time in London at the Nike Hospitality Building, interviewing Nikesponsored athletes, and reporting on the impact of Nike at the Olympics. During his reporting stints, Bendzak interviewed Cullen Jones, who swam with Michael Phelps on the silver-medalwinning 4x100-meter U.S. freestyle relay team, and also Reese Hoffa, a U.S. shot
32 PLU SCENE WINTER 2012 > ALUMNI PROFILES
putter who took home the bronze medal. Bendzak also had some moments that still stick in his memory, such as watching the United Kingdoms’s Mo Farah win the 10,000-meter race. The crowd was so loud “it was like the space shuttle blasting off,” he said. This entire adventure started last spring, when Bendzak entered a contest open to Nike’s 38,000 employees. Through essays and video applications, Nike chose three employees – one being Bendzak – to cover the games over its three-week run. At first, Bendzak wasn’t going to fill out the application, but then decided he might as well go for it. “I wasn’t sure I had time to do it then,” said the physical education major. “But then I didn’t want to look back and regret it.” It took several weeks to put together the video and written applications – Bendzak did the video shoot on his uni-
cycle – and then he submitted it in June. A month later, he found out he’d been picked as one of the three employees going to London. And they wanted him to take his unicycle along for some of the shots. Turned out to be a good move by Nike. While exploring sites on his unicycle, Bendzak was actually filmed as part of a story by the international press. “I was down at Westminster Abby when a gentleman from a Toronto news station came up and wanted to interview me,” Bendzak laughed. “They did three different takes, and later that day, I was on the Web.” And everywhere he went, Brits were whipping out their cell phones for a picture of that strange Yank on a unicycle. Even now, months later, Bendzak still can’t quite believe this all happened. For the Alaskan native, working at Nike has been a dream come true – much less being sent to the Olympics
Montana native returns to his roots with anthology on the West
I
Photo courtesy of chensiyuan
on behalf of the sports giant. When Bendzak was a student at PLU, first in Pflueger and then in South Hall, he’d scribbled a goal on a piece of paper which stated simply “Somehow, someway, someday, I am going to work for Nike.” He then framed it and pinned it above his desk. Bendzak was first fascinated with Michael Jordan, and then with Nike and the development of basketball shoes. He’d still like to design/develop shoes for Nike someday. One of the reasons he picked PLU was because of its marketing and business program, as well as its focus on helping students find their vocation and passion. He later switched from business to physical education and focused on teaching, but still had a laser-like interest in Nike. He told everyone he knew he wanted to work for the company, and applied for several jobs at the corporation after graduation. Colleen Hacker, professor of movement studies and wellness education at PLU, encouraged Bendzak to write down his goals, but also to go on information interviews even if no job was available. This persistence and goal-setting paid off when Bendzak finally landed a job at the child development center in 2011. “I would just say pursue your passion,” Bendzak said of students trying to figure out what they want to do, and how to go about landing a job after graduation. Be willing to volunteer and show interest, even if a job isn’t immediately available in a field, he added. Bendzak flew down from Alaska to take a tour of the early childhood center at Nike with its director, even though no job was immediately available. “It was a chance to get past the paperwork and get to a real person,” he said. “The director told me later that she looks for that, steps that show commitment.” That, and always keep your hobbies – like unicycle riding – up to date. S
nspired by the history of the West, Russell Rowland ’81, has made a career exploring what it means to be a Westerner. Rowland partnered with longtime friend Lynn Stegner to produce a new anthology that delves into the evolution of the Western identity. “It was an issue that I was really excited to explore,” said Rowland. “I was really surprised how many wellknown writers were willing to contribute.” Rowland received a bachelor of music education from PLU, and was a member of Choir of the West. He went on to earn a master’s degree in creative writing at Boston University, where his life took a new direction. While in graduate school, Rowland wrote his first novel, “In Open Spaces,” historical fiction about his home state of Montana. He published the novel 11 years later, in 2002, and then a second novel, “The Watershed Years,” in 2007. “I became interested in the history of the West,” said Rowland. “It inspired me to put together the anthology.” The anthology, titled “West of 98: Living and Writing the New American West,” explores how writers see the
West changing – both the landscape, and the people who live and work here. “It tries to consider what it means to be a Westerner now, as we are moving forward into the 21st century,” said coeditor Lynn Stegner, who is the daughter-in-law of the great Western novelist Wallace Stegner. “It is also a book about how landscape imprints individuals.” What began as a much smaller collection of 12 essays during the past 200 years, grew into a compilation of 66 poems and essays. “It quickly mutated to be a defining core of voices that could talk in a way that could really define what it meant to be a Westerner,” said Stegner. Since graduating from PLU, Rowland lived in 12 different states across the country. Most recently, he lived in California for about 14 years, until moving back to his home state of Montana, where he teaches creative writing at Montana State University in Billings. “He’s a wonderfully loyal friend and extremely supportive,” Stegner said. “He’s really devoted to Western literature.” —JuliAnne Rose ’13
–Barbara Clements ALUMNI PROFILES > PLU SCENE WINTER 2012 33
alumni class notes Class Representatives positions available: 1969 and 1980
1936 Class Representative – Volly (Norby) Grande
1940 Class Representative – Luella (Toso) Johnson
1945 Class Representative – Annabelle Birkestol
1948 Class Representative – Norene (Skilbred) Gulhaugen
1950 Class Representative – Dick Weathermon Beth (Gottwald) Peterson was awarded her 30-year volunteer pin in June at the French Hospital Medical Center in San Luis Obispo, Calif. She has a passion for serving others in several areas of the hospital.
Marilyn taught 2nd grade while Duane finished his last year at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn. Marilyn then began a 40-year career as a parish pastor’s wife, doubling up for 20 years caring for two children at home. Marilyn became the first published author in the family as Scope, a church women’s magazine, published her story about the impact of Mt. St. Helen’s ash on church and parsonage life in Ritzville, Wash. After retirement she provided much loving care to her mother who lived to the age of 106. Some of the most enjoyable times in retirement were visiting her daughter and family. Marilyn is survived by her husband, Duane; children Craig, Cheryl (Ulleland ’83) Lucky and PLU son-in-law Col. (Ret.) Stephen Lucky ’84; four granddaughters, a great-grandson; and sister Carol (French ’62) Buchanan.
1955 Class Representative – Phyllis (Grahn) Pejsa
1956 Class Representatives– Ginny (Grahn) Haugen and Clarene (Osterli) Johnson
1957
1951
Class Representative – Ed Larson
Golden Club Class Representative Committee
1958
Herman S. Olson died May 26. Herman was the first in his family to graduate from college. After graduation from PLC, he enrolled at Western Washington College in 1951 for a second bachelor’s degree in education. That year Herm met his future wife, Anita. They married two years later. Herm was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he became a corporal and served in Korea. Herm spent his entire career in public education with the Everett School District. Herm was widely respected for his leadership and organizational abilities, and was elected by his peers to serve as first president of the Everett Educational Association. He retired in 1982. Herm thoroughly enjoyed family get-togethers and annual reunions. He was an avid golfer and men’s club member of Legion Memorial Golf Course, and Happy Trails Resort golf course in Surprise, Ariz., where he was club champion. Herm is survived by his wife, Anita; four children; eight grandchildren; his brother; and numerous nephews and nieces.
1953 Class Representatives – Carol (Schuler) Karwoski and Naomi (Roe) Nothstein
1954 Golden Club Class Representative Committee Marilyn (French) Ulleland died May 27. Marilyn met and married her husband, Duane Ulleland ’52 while attending PLC.
Class Representative – Don Cornell
1959 Golden Club Class Representative Committee Robert E. Wheatley died Oct. 14, 2011. Robert is survived by his wife, Carollyn; children Robin Belson, Todd and Trent Wheatley; six grandchildren; and brother Phil Borders.
1960 Class Representative – Marilu (Miller) Person Robert Lee Hodge died May 20. His singing career began at the age of 1, singing at garden parties, and performing at the age of 3 at the ice cream parlor. A longtime member of S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A. (Barbershop Harmony Society), Bob was a member of the quartet “The Most Happy Fellows.” They were named International Barbershop Quartet Champions of 1977. This was a highlight of a long and rewarding vocal career. Bob is survived by wife Cam, and their children. Bob touched the lives of all who knew him. He sang and performed with many quartets and choirs, including Choir of The West, Seattle Sound, Easy Street, Americas Most Wanted, Tacoma Totemaires, Sweet Adelines and Kitsap Chordsmen.
1961 Class Representative – Ron Lerch
34 PLU SCENE WINTER 2012 > ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
Warren Willis is president of the California School Project, a non-profit organization he established in Los Angeles to mentor Christian students, teachers, parents, churches and organizations. CSP trains university students as campus mentors, and equips high school students for ministry. William “Bill” C. Sears died July 4. He was married to Barbara Sears and celebrated their 31st anniversary in April. Bill worked for 35 years at Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland, Calif., as the grounds gardener. He spent weeks decorating the Chapel of Chimes large display Christmas tree. He loved to discuss religious history and art with all who would engage him and was an avid arm-chair traveler. He worshiped at Saint Peters Lutheran church in San Leandro. He spent his relaxation time in Calistoga, Coloma, Fort Ross, Northern Baja, and cruises to Alaska and Mexico. He loved to embellish stories and kept you captivated with his tales. Although Bill and Barbara did not have children together, they have extended family and many friends that shared trips and holidays together. Bill is survived by his sister, Ruth; nephew and niece with their spouses; five grand nieces and nephews; and a step son.
1962 Class Representative – Leo Eliason and Dixie (Likkel) Matthias
1963 Class Representative – Merlyn and Joan (Maier) Overland Sandra Kay (Johnson) Neely died Oct. 24, 2011. After graduation from PLU, Sandra went to work for Kenworth Trucking as a secretary in Seattle. Upon her return to Montana, she worked for Eagle Trading in Bozeman. For the last 17 years, she worked as a bookkeeper for 2J’s Fresh Market. Sandra enjoyed going to craft shows, taking road trips and spending time with her family. She also loved the San Francisco 49ers and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. She is survived by her daughter, Michelle; and two siblings. Deanna (Dirks) Boe left PLU in 1963, and since then has lived in nine states and eight countries. An educator, the majority of her teaching was with the Department of Defense Dependent Schools. She adopted two daughters while living in Vietnam, gave birth to one in Iran, and gave birth to her the last daughter in Ohio. Deanna married her high school sweetheart in 1994. The couple lives in their hometown in Iowa, but recently purchased a home in the Atlanta area to be closer to grandchildren. Besides her four daughters, Deanna has three stepchildren and 13 grandchildren. Joanne G. (Lapp) Angle died March 8. Joanne joined the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
(ARVO) as executive director in 1990. She spent the remainder of her career at ARVO until her retirement in January 2012. Her influence on ARVO and the eye and vision research community was profound. Joanne also served on the board of Prevent Blindness America from 2003 until her retirement. She was a former board member of the Kings Park Library in Burke, Va., and past president of the Washington, D.C., chapter of the American Liver Foundation. She was preceded in death by her husband, Col. Lane Angle. Joanne is survived by her sister; two daughters; and eight beloved grandchildren.
1964 Class Representative – Jon and Jean (Riggers) Malmin
1965 Class Representative – Dave Wytko Christine (Anderson) Marken died May 18. Literature was one of her loves and she taught in the Shoreline (Wash.) School District. Christine’s zest for life, strength, and witty sense of humor touched many. Leaving behind her husband, children and grandchildren, Christine will be dearly missed.
1966 Class Representative – Frank Johnson Christopher Howell wrote “Gaze,” his tenth volume of poems, which was published recently by Milkweed Editions (Minneapolis). A two-time winner of the Washington State Book Award, since 1996 he has taught in the graduate creative writing program at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, Wash.
1967 Class Representative – Craig Bjorklund Angela (Nicholson) Magruder just finished a large art show, of which many of the paintings can be seen at www.westpoint.org/class/usma1964/ang ieinkshow1/. Angie was fortunate to sell quite a few pieces of art. She was asked years ago to do original, colorized versions of various West Point Academy class crests. She has done 30 crests over the years, and they have been well received. Angie gifted each one to each West Point Academy class for their use.
1968 Class Representative – James and Georgia (Stirn) Girvan
1969 Class Representative - Vacant
1970 Class Representative – Bill Allen
1971 Class Representative – Paul Johnson Halvar Olstead is a certified water/wastewater operator for the town of Opheim, Mont. He taught traffic safety education classes this summer in three Montana school districts. Halvar and his wife, Alvina (Hauf ’73) Olstead, went on an Alaskan cruise to celebrate their 36th wedding anniversary in June. Shirley Thompson celebrated her 90th birthday on May 26 with her daughters, Rebecca Thompson ’75 and Pam Lewis, and several friends. She received numerous birthday cards from friends and relatives and a special card from the White House, signed by President and Mrs. Obama. It was a thrill for Shirley to have everyone focused on her special day! She would like to thank all who sent cards and phoned with good wishes. Dennis Bryant was awarded the Honorary Alumnus Award from California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, Calif. Dennis has worked at CLU for more than 30 years, withstood five CLU presidents, and employed somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,000 students throughout his career. He is currently the CLU director of events. Pamela Lee Townsend died July 24. She is survived by her mother, Leona Peterson; 3 children; and six grandchildren.
1972 Class Representative – Molly Stuen
1973 Class Representative – Sandy (Dimler) Privett and Karen (Wraalstad) Robbins
David E. Johnson, after four years of retirement and volunteer work aplenty, has returned to the world of work as the new sponsorship coordinator for the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in Mount Vernon, Wash. Come in April for the 30th Festival! Mark Q. Rowland retired in July. For the 18 years prior, he was senior pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Ridgecrest, Calif.
1975 Class Representative – Lauralee Hagen Rebecca Thompson is a first soprano in two performing choirs: Cantare Con Vivo, an audition-only choir based in Oakland, Calif., and the Harlen Miller Chorale based in Angwin, Calif. She also sings with the Napa Valley Lutheran Church choir on Sunday mornings. Recently, she signed a contract with Travis Air Force Base to administer neuropsychological testing for their service men and women returning from the war zone. In her spare time, she works on bonsai trees, which provides therapeutic richness to her life, and she teaches tennis at Napa Valley College. On May 26 she joined family and friends to celebrate the 90th birthday of her mother, Shirley Thompson ’71 at Panorama City in Lacey, Wash. Anne Marie Mehlum, PLU’s first Fulbright recipient, was recently appointed by Governor John Kitzhaber to the new Oregon Growth Board. Anne Marie is the chief executive of Summit Bank in Eugene, Ore. She is a past president of the Oregon Bankers Association and serves on the 15-member FDIC Advisory Committee on Community Banking, representing some 6,000 community banks in the United States.
1976 Class Representative – Gary Powell
Daniel Dubé died May 3. He graduated from PLU with a B.A. in percussion music and theory. While at PLU, and following graduation, he performed with fellow musicians who became lifelong friends. After graduation he taught drumming and was a studio session player. Dan was an active member of the People’s Church music program. During the early years at the church he met his wife Dawn L. (Henning) Dubé, the love of his life. Dan worked at Tacoma Screw Products for 17 years until his cancer forced him into premature retirement. During Dan’s 14year battle with Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma (ACC) he became a major player in support groups, the Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Organization International (ACCOI), and attended and presented at gatherings in the U.S., Canada and Switzerland. In 2009 Dan became President of ACCOI, following the passing of the organization’s original founder. Dan is survived by his wife of 38 years, Dawn, and his two sons, Anthony and Troy. He is also survived by six siblings; 11 nieces and nephews; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.
James A. Knutsen died May 18. In 1967, James proudly joined the Tacoma Police Department. Jim set the record for the most felony arrests in one year (137), received 13 commendations for outstanding arrests, and the Medal of Merit for wrestling a gun away from a man who was about to shoot his partner. He was also a graduate of the National FBI Academy and the United States Secret Service Dignitary Protection School. At the time of his passing, he was retired as Tacoma assistant chief of police. Jim was an avid golfer, and taught the game to his granddaughters, whom he adored. He was generous, caring, and intelligent. His parents John and Ann Knutsen; sister Patricia Jones; and brother-in-law Dan Jones preceded him in death. Jim is survived by his wife Jeanine; 2 children; 4 granddaughters; 3 siblings; and eight nieces and nephews.
1974
1978
Class Representative – David E. Johnson
1977 Class Representatives – Leigh Erie and Joan (Nelson) Mattich
Class Representative – Pete Mattich
Roger Schuck died April 29. During college, he joined the U.S. Navy Reserve and was commissioned in 1963. While a weapons officer of U.S.S. DuPont during his second tour of Vietnam in 1967, he received the Navy Commendation Medal with “V” for valor. It was through the Navy he met ensign Laura Lee Wilkerson in 1965. They married in 1966 and had three children. Leaving the Navy in 1968, Roger worked for Boeing. Taking a position at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, he rose to branch head for non-nuclear test engineering and he earned an MBA from PLU. He retired in 1993. Following Laura Lee’s retirement, they moved to Colorado to be closer to family. He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Laura Lee; brother, Robert Schuck; children, Laura, Eric Schuck ’93 and Jon Schuck ’96; PLU daughter-in-laws, Cally Turner ’92 and Stacey (Thompson ’96) Schuck; and many nieces, nephews, and beloved extended family.
American interests. Kim is a major gifts officer in the Office of Development at PLU.
1979
Cheri Keller and husband, Eric Mandt ’86 have lived in Olympia, Wash., for 15 years, and have two beautiful daughters, Maria, 14, and Katie, 12. They have great jobs and a great life. They are also in a rock-and-roll band called “Whoa Dizzy” that plays around Olympia and Tacoma. They have three CDs of great original music, most of which were written by Eric. Check them out at www.whoadizzy.com.
Class Representatives – Dave and Teresa (Hausken) Sharkey
1980 Class Representative – Vacant Gary Mitchell was named to the University of the Pacific Board of Regents.
1981 Class Representative – Dean and Susan (Lee) Phillips. Dianna (Johnston) Koneman was selected as the director of nursing/allied health for the nursing and allied health programs at New Mexico State University, Carlsbad, N.M. Gayle (Ensor) Warner is the proud mom of two children, Jayleen Hille and Shane Hille. Jaylee lives and works in South Korea teaching English in a Christian high school. She is also the executive manager of Camarata Music Company which performs classical concerts as well as musicals. Shane is married to Kate and is a corporal in the U.S. Army based in Fort Hood, Texas.
1982 Class Representative – Paul Collard
1983 Class Representative – Dave Olson Peter Brunner is president and owner of Full Sail Graphics and Marketing, a large-format digital printing and graphic design company in Huntington Beach, Calif.
1984 Class Representative – Mark Christofferson
1985 Class Representatives – Janet (Olden) Regge and Carolyn (Plocharsky) Stelling Liz Miller is happily working in the Los Altos School District in a special day class, working with kids with learning and emotional disabilities. In April of 2000, Liz brought home her daughter, Kate, who she adopted from Guatemala. Kate is almost 13 years old now, so Liz is on the go constantly with her!
1986 Class Representative – David Carlson
1987 Class Representatives – John Carr and Lisa Ottoson
Darren Hamby recently accepted the position of senior vice president for human resources and corporate services at Federal Home Loan Bank in Seattle, Wash.
1988 Class Representative – Brenda Ray Scott Alexander Seidel was awarded a master of arts in counseling psychology and a master of arts in Christian studies from The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology.
1989 Class Representative – Brendan Rorem Mary (Walker) DeMuth’s 14th traditionally published book, “Everything,” was released October 16. It is published by Thomas Nelson Publishers, a division of Harper Collins. Mary will be speaking this next calendar year in California, Texas, Washington, Pennsylvania, Haiti, Canada and South Africa. Find out more at http://www.marydemuth.com. AmyJo Mattheis Holmquist’s book, “Religion Made Me Fat,” is now available in paperback. AmyJo will speak at TEDx San Joaquin 2012. Her talk is entitled “Why Religion Made Me Fat” and will argue for letting go of the Doctrine of Original Sin.
1990
Kim Nesselquist, as an important leader in the Norwegian community, was appointed to Knight, First Class to the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit, an award that recognizes foreign nationals and Norwegian nationals living abroad for their work in promoting Norwegian-
Class Representative - Erik Benson and Mark Kurtz Christa (Ogren) Chambers was appointed senior vice president and chief financial officer at Kemper Development, Bellevue. In her role, Christa will oversee
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES > PLU SCENE WINTER 2012
35
financial operations for the company’s holdings, including Bellevue Square, Bellevue Place and Lincoln Square.
1996
1991
1997
Class Representative – Jim Morrell
1992 Class Representative – Rebecca Benson Rebecca Benson is a senior financial analyst for PetroCard, Inc. She works directly with the CFO “bridging” the accounting department and the finance department. Also, she obtained her CPA license in 2011. Borge Steinsvik married Regina Arslanova on April 12. Regina works as an environmental engineer for a major oil company.
1993 Class Representative – Barbara (Murphy) Hesner Greg Wilson was named Clover Park Administrator of the Year 2012.
Class Representatives – Steve and Kimberly (Nadon) Leifsen. Class Representatives – Andy and Stephanie (Merle) Tomlinson
1998 Class Representative – Shannon (Herlocker) Stewart Michelle (Sayler) Query and husband Patrick Query ’99 live in Cornwall, New York. Michelle is an occupational therapist, and Patrick is associate professor of English at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. They have a daughter, Fiala, 4, and a son, Joaquin, 1. Tim Barker received the 2012 Young Professionals Award. He is currently the director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Lewiston, Idaho. Sarah Graham was hired as assistant professor of choral music at Kaskaskia College in Centralia, Ill.
1999 Class Representative – Julie Johnston
1994 Class Representatives – Dan Lysne and Catherine (Overland) Hauck
1995 Class Representative – Janet (Huss) Nelson
Jennifer (Severns) Huang received National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) status in library media in 2011. In
2012, she began a blog called savethebodies.com, which addresses real-life experiences with cancer. Jennifer was diagnosed with stage-4 colon cancer in 2005. Maureen Francisco will be the upcoming co-president for Ascend, a non-profit organization that nurtures today’s and tomorrow’s Pan-AsianAmerican leaders. She is also the recipient of the Pinoy Reporter Tagumpay Award for “Excellence in Entertainment.” The award recognizes FilipinoAmericans who live in Washington state who have gone above and beyond serving their community, and being a role model in their respective fields. On Jan. 19, Maureen’s first book, “It Takes Moxie: Off the Boat, or Out of School, to Making it Your Way in America” will be released. Her story shows how to overcome adversity, take pride in who you are, and pursue life goals with a proper mix of ambition, savvy, reason and humility. John Russell Burch Sr. died April 28. John graduated from St. Martin’s College for his undergraduate degree and received his master’s degree at PLU. John had a distinguished military career, serving for 25 years in Special Forces
Brian Norman has published a new book, “Dead Women Talking: Figures of Injustice in American Literature,” now out from the Johns Hopkins University Press.
2000 Class Representative – Ashley Orr Suzanne (Sampson) Hopkins completed a sevenmonth deployment with the U.S. Navy on the U.S.S. John C. Stennis from July 2011 to Feb. 2012. She then married Max Hopkins in March in San Diego, Calif. In April 2012, Suzanne was promoted to lieutenant commander.
2001 Class Representative – Michael Mauss and Brianne (McQuaig) Vertrees
Friends from the class of ’64 gathered at Black Butte Ranch in June to celebrate seven decades. From left: Mary Jane (Geldaker) Isensee, Ann (Soine) Crabtree, Linda (Zimmer) Betz, Ruth (Danielson) Nielsen, Carole (Haaland) Fredrickson, Patty (Larson) Norris, Kathy (Zell) Trumbull, Jerri (Robarge) Reid, and Ginger (Langford) Shive.
Picture Perfect
Classmates (L to R) Greta (Hookenson ’57) Roseberg, Nathalie (Ho ’57) Hee, and Betty (Soine ’57) McLellan gathered together.
Gay (Thompson ’75) Mitchell, Jennifer Hall Buchholtz ’73 and Carol (Littlejohn) Johnson ’71, ’73 celebrate their annual reunion, this time at Mt. Hood, Ore. They call it their “Girls’ Weekend.” Tara Shadduck ’91 and Steve Wangen ’90, on the occasion of their 20th wedding anniversary, held a party in Seattle, with many Lutes in attendance. Left to right: Amy Drackert ’90, Russell Rice ’91, Steve Wangen ’90, Tara Shadduck ’91, Thomas Mercer ’91, Sarah (Jeans ’90) Agsten , Scott Foss ’91, and Jeanette (Ruud ’92) Kuo. Also in attendance, but not pictured, was Jim Boulter ’92 and Kara Quello ’92.
Would you like to share your pictures with your fellow alumni?
Send pictures to us by e-mail at alumni@plu.edu, or by mail to the Office of Alumni and Constituent Relations, Pacific Lutheran University, 12180 Park Ave. S., Tacoma, WA 98447. Please feel free to call us at 800-ALUM-PLU if you have any questions.
36 PLU SCENE WINTER 2012 > ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
and Green Berets, retiring with the rank of Captain USAR and First Sergeant U.S. Army. He was decorated with the Meritorious Service Medal and the Bronze Star. He also has a Purple Heart for wounds received in combat. In addition to his mother, he is survived by his wife, Betsy; son and daughter, and their mother, Idalia Murgas Burch; and three step sons. John’s grandchildren and step-grandchildren brought great joy to his life.
Katrina (Richardson) Keller married Jeremy Keller on May 5 in Marietta, Okla. Katrina graduated in Dec. 2011 from Washington State University with a master’s degree in nursing. She accepted an ARNP position with Family Home Care and Hospice providing primary care to vulnerable adults. Tamara Schmidt Hille received her master’s degree in marriage and family therapy. She is living in Tucson, Ariz., with her husband, Sean, and her 22-month-old son, Aiden. Tamara has been working as a high school guidance counselor since 2005. Shawn Jennison has spent the last 12-plus years working in marketing and communications, most recently for Clover Park Technical College as the director of college relations. In 2000, Jennison began his career as public affairs/marketing coordinator, producer and writer for KSTW Television. He is involved in the South Sound Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR), and is a volunteer member of the marketing advising team for the United Way of Pierce County.
2002 Class Representatives – Nicholas Gorne and Brian Riehs Wendy (Cook) Heibel is a critical care registered nurse for the White House Medical Office.
2003 Class Representative – Elisabeth (Pynn) Himmelman Kelly Fitzgerald married George Hobson on May 27 at Tolovana Park in Cannon Beach, Ore. They enjoyed a special and scenic time with few friends and family on the beach at Haystack Rock. They spent their honeymoon traveling the Oregon coast to Crescent City, Calif., and through the redwoods. George is a karaoke host in Federal Way, Wash. The couple enjoys singing karaoke, walking their dogs, playing games, and traveling. Alumna, Jenny Lynn Adams ’02 attended their wedding reception in Auburn, Wash. on June 5. Kelly is now a step-mom to Brad, Melissa and Laura, as well as step-grandmother to Rune. She is a RN at the Ambulatory
Care Center at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma. She has worked there since 2001, and has worked for Franciscan for more than eight years.
2004 Class Representative – Tammy Lynn Schaps Claire Zovko taught a course titled The Olympic Games & the Law in London, England, last summer to American law students studying abroad during the Olympic Games. Ryan Neary married Hannah Wild on June 30 at Willie Green’s Organic Farm in Monroe, Wash. Lutes in attendance at the wedding were Phil O’Sullivan, Hannah Williams, Matt Coughlin, Anna (Bartholomew ’03) Coughlin, Ben Monte Calvo ’07, Amanda Anuraga ’07, Steven Donovan ’06, Shannon Schrecengost ’09, Erin Burgess, and Sean Bendickson. Clyner Antalan graduated from University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine in May 2012. He is now a resident physician for Hawaii Residency Programs in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children in Honolulu. Shella Biallas started a new job as a Foreign Service officer with the U.S. Department of State in May 2012. Her first assignment will be as an economic/environment officer in Oslo, Norway, starting in March 2013. Nova Schauss, after living and working in La Paz, Bolivia, for one year as a school counselor at the American Cooperative School, began in July a position as the student success specialist in the College of Engineering at Oregon State University in Corvalis. Elizabeth Hood, after graduation, lived in Manhattan and Los Angeles working in public relations, but the call to youth ministry was something she could no longer deny. She began her ministry as a youth director in southern California, where she served for four years. She is now happily settled in Palo Alto, Calif., where she serves as the director of children, youth and family ministry at Grace Lutheran Church. Elizabeth recently returned from the ELCA National Youth Gathering in New Orleans with a group of 23. In recent years, Elizabeth joined up with a classmate, Nova Schauss, to participate in the three-day, 60-mile Susan G. Komen Walk for Breast Cancer. She loves living in the Bay Area and is excited for new adventures in years to come. Captain Lance Brender has successfully completed a 15-month command of Blackfoot Troop, 4th Squadron, 7th U.S. Cavalry. He goes on to take command of HHC, 1st Battalion, 72nd Armor Regiment.
2005 Class Representative – Micheal Steele
2006 Class Representative – Jenna (Steffenson) Serr
Holly Hughes is the co-author of the book, “The Pen and The Bell: Mindful Writing in a Busy World,” which was published by Skinner House Books in May. For more information, visit www.penandbell.com. Holly also recently won the Excellence in Education Award for 2012. Chelsea Blegen graduated from Des Moines (Iowa) University College of Medicine on May 26. She will be completing her residency training in obstetrics and gynecology at Mercy Health Partners in Muskegon, Mich. Emily (O’Leary) Barker received a promotion to program associate at the
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) in January. Emily has worked for IATP, located in Minneapolis, since Sept. 2008. She lives in St. Louis Park, Minn., with her husband, Joel. Daniel E. Mooney has joined the firm, Hawley Troxell, as a litigation associate in its Boise, Idaho, office. Mooney was a summer associate for Hawley Troxell in 2010, and served as a judicial clerk for Justice Jim Jones at the Idaho Supreme Court following his graduation from law school in 2011. Additionally, he received the 2010-11 University of Idaho Alumni Association’s Award for Excellence, and the 2009 Idaho Trial Lawyers Association’s Excellence in Legal Research and Writing Award.
In Memoriam 1951 Herman S. Olson died May 26
1954 Marilyn (French) Ulleland died May 27
1959 Robert E. Wheatley died Oct. 14
1960 Robert Lee Hodge died on May 20
1961 William “Bill” C. Sears died July 4
1963 Joanne G. (Lapp) Angle died March 8 Sandra Kay (Johnson) Neely died Oct. 24.
1965 Christine (Anderson) Marken died May 18
1971 Pamela Lee Townsend died July 24
1973 Daniel Dubé died May 3
1977 James A. Knutsen died May 18
1978 Roger Schuck died April 29
1999 John Russell Burch Sr. died April 28
Friends and Family Dagny (Ordahl) Vaswig died May 7. Dagny was active in the Daughters of Norway, the PLU Scandinavian Cultural Center, Mu Phi Epsilon Music Sorority, and Emmanuel and Central Lutheran churches. She was an avid photographer. Through her photos, she created
lasting memories for family, friends and community organizations. Dagny was a major soloist in the Tacoma/Seattle area, performing both classical and musical theater repertoire. Dagny and sisters, Florence and Evangeline, founded the Nordic Trio in the ’80s, spreading their Norwegian heritage through stories, costume and song (many in Norwegian) throughout this area and in the midwest. She was preceded in death by her husband, Vernon Vaswig; daughter Pauline and son Donald. She is survived by her daughter-in-law, grandchildren, two sisters, and several nieces and nephews. Dr. Vernon Stintzi (Colonel, U.S. Air Force, retired) died July 24. After his graduation from Coe College in 1936, he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps and became a pilot. While in the Air Force during World War II, he served in Japan, and fought in North Africa and Europe. During his lengthy career with the Air Force, Stintzi was the commander of Sondrestrom Air Base in Greenland, and served as commander and later wing commander at McChord Air Force Base in Tacoma, Wash. He retired from the Air Force in 1963. His flight logs are in the Smithsonian. After retiring from the military, he returned to university and earned a master’s degree in business administration at the University of Arizona. While studying for his doctorate, he began working as a professor of business at PLU from 1964 to 1976. He retired from PLU in 1976 and worked for Lutheran Brotherhood in Minneapolis, until he decided to farm full-time with his son, Mark, in northwestern Ontario. He farmed full-time until he was in his early 90s. He is preceded in death by his wife, Maria. The couple had three children who all survive, as do several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister, three nieces and two nephews.
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES > PLU SCENE WINTER 2012 37
What’s withnew you? >
Please fill out as much information below as possible, including city of residence and work. Feel free to use another piece of paper, but please limit your submission to 100 words. Photos are welcome, but only one photo will be used, and on a space available basis. Notes will be edited for content. Photos must be prints or high quality jpegs. Please, no reproductions or copies from other publications. Deadline for the next issue of Scene is January 13, 2013.
NAME (LAST, FIRST, MAIDEN)
PLU CLASS YEAR(S)
SPOUSE
SPOUSE’S PLU CLASS YEAR(S) IF APPLICABLE
STREET ADDRESS
IS THIS A NEW ADDRESS? YES ❑ NO ❑
CITY STATE
ZIP
PHONE NUMBER
E-MAIL/WEBSITE POST ON THE ALUMNI E-MAIL DIRECTORY YES ❑ NO ❑
Job Information JOB TITLE
EMPLOYER
WORK ADDRESS
CITY, STATE, ZIP
WORK PHONE
WORK EMAIL
Marriage (no engagements, please) SPOUSE’S NAME (FIRST, MIDDLE, MAIDEN, LAST)
DATE/PLACE OF MARRIAGE
SPOUSE’S OCCUPATION
Birth CHILD’S NAME (FIRST, MIDDLE, LAST)
BIRTHDATE (M/D/Y) GENDER MALE ❑ FEMALE ❑
SIBLINGS/AGES
Promotions/Awards NAME
TITLE OF POSITION/COMPANY/AWARD/ DATE ASSUMED
>
MAIL TO: Office of Alumni and Constituent Relations, PLU, Tacoma, WA, 98447-0003; FAX: 253-535-8555; E-MAIL: alumni@plu.edu; Internet: www.plualumni.org. Please limit to 100 words.
38 PLU SCENE WINTER 2012 > ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
2007
closing the educational achievement gap between the “haves” and “have nots” in this country. Alice recently moved to New Jersey to be part of the founding staff of THRIVE Academy, part of the TEAM Charter Schools: a KIPP Region. In fall, THRIVE opened with their founding class of kindergarteners. Alice believes that PLU prepared her to be an advocate for those who have none, and to work with others toward the goal of ending education inequality in the city of Newark.
Class Representative – John McClimans and Kaarin Praxel
2011
Jennifer Hime married Allan Laurberg on June 30 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Lutes in attendance at the wedding were Elizabeth (Jaspers ’05) Fox, David Fox, Shandra Crosby, Brie (Chamberlain ’05) Renner, Marina Wegge and Jan Christiansen.
Kayla Pendrak is a recruiting coordinator for REI in Sumner, Wash.
2008 Class Representative – Christy Olsen Field and Courtney Stringer Thomas Pedersen and Hanne Helliesen were married on Oct. 8, 2011. The couple met at PLU in 2005 in a class for international students and began dating rather quickly. They had a great time in Washington and at PLU, and look back at their time in the United States with excitement. They got married in Drøbak, Norway, and live in Oslo, Norway. Angela (Grossklaus) and Cole Richards ’10 were married on July 1 in Denver, Colo. Over 20 Lutes were in attendance including Ben Malnor ’10, who officiated. Emily (Dooley) and Kyle Fahey were married on July 23 in Bellevue, Wash. Over 30 Lutes were in attendance. The bride was given away by her father, Eric Dooley ’83. Emily Hockert was the maid of honor and Serena Giese was a bridesmaid. Kaj Martin ’99 served as one of the officiants. In addition, Jason ’09 and Hannah (Hutchins ’11) Comerford did the wedding photography.
Class Representative- Caroline Olsen, Adam Story and Lynsey Tveit Yelena (Rudenko) Sy married Jay Israel Sy ’09 in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Nov. 11, 2011. Carre (Avary) Potis married Frank Potis in Tacoma on Aug. 3.
2012 Class Representative – Kelvin Adams and Caitlyn Jackson Gretchen (Burkhart) Monday married Robert (Michael) Monday in Fort Lewis, Wash., on July 14. Gretchen graduated from PLU School of Nursing and is now serving in the Army Nurse Corps. Michael deployed in November to Afghanistan. Helen (Lee) Jensen married Travis Jensen in Snoqualmie Falls, Wash. on July 7. Stacey Hagensen was awarded the 2012 Honda Sports Award Division III Player of the Year, after pitching PLU softball team to the national title. Her selection by the Collegiate Women Sports Awards program recognizes her as the top Division III female athlete.
Future Lutes 1999
2009
on Feb. 1.
Class Representative – Maren (Anderson) Johnson and Amy Spieker
2000
2010 Class Representative – Nick Caraballo and Jillian Foss Alice Stewart recently completed her commitment with Teach for America and graduated with a master’s degree in elementary education. Through those experiences, she was instilled with a passion to go out and continue to work toward
Suzy (Hooper) Levy and husband, Anthony, announced the birth of their daughter, Lydia Frances,
Camille (Mesmer) Vancil and husband, Matt Vancil ’01, announced the birth of their son, Wesley, on March 3. Wesley was born one month premature, but is doing really well – no complications!
2001
Max (4).
Heather (Trolia) Mueller and husband, Russ, welcomed the birth of their daughter, Jayne, on April 25. Jayne joins big brother,
Kimberly (Chichester) Brown and husband, Stuart Brown, were thrilled to announce the arrival of William Howard Brown on Oct. 8, 2011. Shawn Jennison and wife, Jodi, welcomed the newest addition to their family, Jillian Faith Jennison, born Feb. 15. Austin (6) and Riley (4) are proud big brothers. Karl Satrum and wife, Mackenzie, welcomed son, Brock Jase Satrum, on Aug. 8, 2011. Broke was 6 lbs. and 13 oz. He is a happy and healthy baby boy. Karl and Mackenzie are proud first-time parents and are doing well in the Denver, Colo., area.
big sister, Natalie (3).
Jennifer (Haitt) Jackson and husband, Aaron Jackson, welcomed the birth of their daughter, Evelyn, on June 12. Evelyn joins
Kayle (Kolari) Lovejoy and husband, David, announced the birth of their daughter, Amelia Claire, on March 3. DeAnna (Borchardt) and Eric Steiger celebrated the birth of their first son, Frederick Owen, on July 27.
Nikky (Hammond) and Brian Berkenhoff ’98 welcomed the birth of their son, Emmett Brian, on June 28. Emmett joins sisters, Sophia (7) and Madelyn (5).
LeAnne (Jones) Wiles and husband, Kristian Wiles, welcomed their daughter, Jade Elizabeth Wiles, on Aug. 11.
2002 Janice (Kueffler) Wiggins and husband, Nathan Wiggins ’01, announced the birth of their daughter, Avery, on May 15. Avery joins big brothers, Lucas (5), and Bradley (3). Sara (Poole) Holland and husband, Brad, announced the birth of their daughter, Abigail Jane, on April 24.
Sarabeth (Schwartz) Butts and husband, Steve, welcomed daughter, Audrey Beth, into the world on May 14. Audrey joins Travis (7), Jayna (5) and Evan (3). Andy Loe and Erin (Feutz ’04) Loe, along with their son Riley, welcomed Addison Lauren Loe on Dec 8.
2005 Elizabeth Jacobson-Secor and husband, William, announced the birth of their daughter, Yvaine, on Sept. 30, 2011.
2007 Nicole (Petrzelka) Simon and husband, Jared, announced the birth of their son, Cooper, on May 23.
2003 Kristina (Courtnage) Bowman and husband, Brandon Bowman ’02, welcomed the arrival of their daughter, Mikayla, on Feb. 2.
Matthew Minor welcomed the birth of his daughter, Alice Juliet, on July 1. S
Ho l i d ay SHo ppi n g
Our Future Begins Today For the last 26 years, Rieke Science Center has served as the home for science education at Pacific Lutheran University. Our alums can be found in top research institutions and laboratories, and in cutting edge health professions, serving as physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and dentists all over the globe and in the classrooms as well. But the excellence of our facilities and equipment no longer match the excellence of our students. Outdated lab space, classrooms and equipment are hindering the intellectual growth of the science program and, ultimately, our students. Join us in making an investment in our students, our faculty, and ultimately in the impact our graduates will have on the Puget Sound area, on the nation and the world. Your gift to help modernize Rieke Science Center will give PLU students the tools and skills to navigate a rapidly evolving, complex and information-rich scientific environment.
Make a gift today! Rieke Science Center Project www.plu.edu/rieke
CLASS NOTES > PLU SCENE WINTER 2012 39
one-on-one continued from back page
“I view teaching much like I view journalism, it’s still an education process. Here, you give students a good start and help them find their way.” —Robert Marshall Wells
journalism experience whatsoever. Wells received polite passes from most of the editors, until one, TNT City Editor Gary Jasinek, sat down and gave Wells the cold hard facts of journalism: He was probably going to face long hours and make half of what he was making at AT&T. Maybe less. But Wells was resolute. “I remember wanting to feel involved in something, something larger than myself.” The interview concluded, and Wells was walking out of the door of the TNT, and into the fall sunshine, figuring “oh well, back to PR” when he heard someone hail him. Jasinek told Wells that an internship would be available that next summer. Pay was lousy, but would he be interested? Wells snapped at the chance to follow his passion, and a journalist was born. Since then, Wells worked for the TNT, Congressional Quarterly and the Seattle Times. He arrived at PLU in the fall of 2003, as a fill-in for 62 PLU SCENE WINTER 2012 > ONE-ON-ONE
now-retired communications professor Cliff Rowe. Wells found himself delaying, and delaying, his return to the Times. Finally he admitted to himself, he just didn’t want to leave PLU. “There’s something about this place, it gets into your blood,” Wells mused, now going on 10 years at PLU. In that time, Wells has fed his passion by shaping future journalists, creating the award-winning MediaLab, and contributing to efforts to create a media studies center at PLU. The MediaLab idea was born in 2004. The best and brightest media students in journalism, video, photography, public relations and other disciplines have since scored over a dozen awards as well as one Emmy. MediaLab students have traveled into areas ravaged by tornados and oil spills, gone up the Alaskan Highway in search of unsung war heroes, and looked into weighty topics such as immigration, the changing American family and attitudes
towards Islam in the United States. “I view teaching much like I view journalism,” Wells said. “It’s still an education process. And here, you give students a good start, and help them find their way. I think of the professors who encouraged me, and gave me a kick in the butt when I needed it.” Wells would like to return the favor. And he has found it here – a place that is small enough so he knows each and every student, and large enough “so we can do some pretty remarkable things.” His job at PLU is more to encourage students, rather than tell them what to do. And his advice for recent graduates, not only facing a tough job market, but an industry in turmoil? Take chances, albeit calculated ones. (He’s not sure about flying across the country based on a classified ad). Be flexible, and learn how to think. Finally, learn to write well and tell a good story. “That will lead to everything else.” S —Barbara Clements
calendar continued from inside front cover
November 18, 8 – 9:30 p.m. Guitar Ensemble: Elizabeth C.D. Brown Lagerquist Concert Hall
December 5 – 9, 7:30 p.m. Theater: Buried Child Studio Theatre, KHP Center for the Performing Arts
November 20, 6 – 8 p.m. State Farm MBA Speaker Series: Patricia Krise Rieke 103: Leraas Lecture Hall
December 5, 8 – 9:30 p.m. String Kaleidoscope Lagerquist Concert Hall
November 25, 8 – 9:30 p.m. Harp Ensemble Christmas Concert Mary Baker Russell Music Center, Room 306
December 6, 12 – 1 p.m. KPLU Jazz Jam: University Jazz Ensemble and Pearl Django Lagerquist Concert Hall
November 28, 8 – 9:30 p.m. University Concert Band Lagerquist Concert Hall
December 6, 12 p.m. – 2 p.m. Bachelor of Science in Nursing Information Sessions Ramstad 202: Nursing Continuing Education Classroom
November 29, 8 – 9:30 p.m. Choral Series: Sounds of Christmas Lagerquist Concert Hall
DECEMBER Through December 12 Juried Student Exhibition University Gallery December 4, 6 – 7:30 p.m. MBA Information Session Morken Center 103: Public Events Room
A CHILD IS BORN A PLU CHRISTMAS
December 7, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Christmas Carol Trivia with Paul Schultz, founder of the Northwest Repertory Singers Garfield Book Company Community Room
January 20, 3 – 4:30 p.m. Carolyn Hoover Piano Recital Lagerquist Concert Hall
FEBRUARY February 5, 7 – 8 p.m. Author Event: PLU Alum Marissa Meyer Garfield Book Company Community Room February 6, 5 – 7 p.m. Opening Reception: David Keyes, Dennis Cox University Gallery February 6, 8 – 9:30 p.m. Showcase Concert: PLU Choral and Instrumental ensembles Lagerquist Concert Hall
December 12, 7:30 – 10 p.m. Santka Lucia Lagerquist Concert Hall, Scandinavian Cultural Center
February 7 – March 6 A Retrospective Exhibit: Emeriti professors David Keyes, Dennis Cox University Gallery
December 13, 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. Christmas Luncheon, Olson Gymnasium
February 10, 1 – 4 p.m. Habitat Restoration Work Party Fred L. Tobiason Outdoor Learning Center
December 13, 6 – 7:30 p.m. Master of Science in Finance Information Session Morken Center 103: Public Events Room
DECEMBER 2, 3 P.M. A PLU Christmas: A Child is Born Lagerquist Concert Hall, PLU
December 15, 6 – 8 p.m. Nordic Christmas Fest Scandinavian Cultural Center
DECEMBER 3, 7:30 P.M. A PLU Christmas: A Child is Born Benaroya Concert Hall, Seattle
December 15, 8 – 9:30 p.m. Choral Union Concert Lagerquist Concert Hall
DECEMBER 7, 8 P.M. A PLU Christmas: A Child is Born Lagerquist Concert Hall, PLU
January 6, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Silicon Valley Chamber Music Festival Benefit Concert Lagerquist Concert Hall
December 8, 10 a.m. – 4p.m. 2012 December Commencement Olson Gymnasium
DECEMBER 1, 8:00 P.M. A PLU Christmas: A Child is Born Lagerquist Concert Hall, PLU
DECEMBER 4, 7:30 P.M. A PLU Christmas: A Child is Born Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland
January 5, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. NW High School Honor Band Concert #2 Lagerquist Concert Hall
JANUARY
February 12, 10:30 a.m.– 12:30 p.m. Dr. Douglas Oakman on the KJV Bible Garfield Book Company Community Room February 12, 8 – 9:30 p.m. Guest Orchestra: Central Washington University Lagerquist Concert Hall February 19, 10:30 a.m.– 12:30 p.m. Washington Territory judges appointed by Lincoln Garfield Book Company Community Room
January 4 – 5 NW High School Honor Band Mary Baker Russell Music Center
March 1, 7 – 8 p.m. PLUtonic/HERmonic Spring Show #1 Lagerquist Concert Hall
January 5, 5 – 6 p.m. NW High School Honor Band Concert #1 Lagerquist Concert Hall
March 1, 9 – 10 p.m. PLUtonic/HERmonic Springs Show #2 Lagerquist Concert Hall S CALENDAR > PLU WINTER 2012 63
Pacific Lutheran University 12180 Park Avenue South Tacoma, WA 98447-0003
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED PLU Scene Address change: If this copy of Scene is addressed to your son or daughter who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify the Office of Alumni and Constituent Relations with his or her new mailing address. You can reach us by phone at 253-535-7415 or 1-800-ALUM-PLU. You can also fax us at 253-535-8555 or e-mail alumni@plu.edu with the new information. Thanks!
one-on-one
Education and Journalism: Hard work, and worth the effort
Robert Marshall Wells, associate professor of communication, believes education is a lot like journalism: Give students a strong foundation, and they will find their way.
R
obert Marshall Wells was looking out the window of his corner office at AT&T, where he was working as a public relations specialist, looking beyond the rolling hills and D.C.-area cityscape, not really seeing anything. Wells was pondering his future. He had already racked up an impressive set of credentials, with a bachelor’s of general studies from American University in Washington, D.C., and was
then completing a master’s of communication, also from American. For nearly 10 years, he’d worked in banking, marketing, and finally public relations. “I didn’t like it, I certainly didn’t hate it,” Wells, associate professor of communication, mused recently during a break from sabbatical work on a certificate in documentary studies at Duke University. “But I came home at the end of each day and asked, ‘What have I really
accomplished today?’” That question began to gnaw at Wells. His entire career track changed in 1989, when a journalism professor in his master’s program pointed out a posting for a job fair at The News Tribune in Tacoma – wherever that was. On a whim, Wells booked a flight out to the Northwest and showed up at the job fair, with hope, a resume and no continued on page 62